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Grimlock (RID 2015)

2026-03-18T20:52:58Z

Silverfoil: fixed a typo

{{faction|decepticon|autobot|rescuebot|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3.5|the ''Robots in Disguise'' Dinobot|the ''Fall of Cybertron'' Dinobot|Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock}}
:''Grimlock is a [[Decepticon]]-turned-[[Autobot]] [[Dinobot (RID)|Dinobot]] from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[File:Grimlock-RID2015promorender.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Another [[Grimlock (RID 2001)|''Robots in Disguise'' Grimlock]] who is green and can speak in full sentences? Well, at least this time he turns into a dinosaur.]]

'''Grimlock''' is a wild card among the Autobots. Huge and powerful, he's also headstrong and reckless. He transforms into a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'', a powerful form that's essentially a wrecking ball on two legs. It's not the subtlest [[alternate mode]] around, but Grimlock isn't one for subtlety.

Grimlock's what you might call a 'bot of action; he has little patience for complicated strategies and prefers to think of plans on the fly. Of course, his usual "plan" starts and stops at "punch it". He's not a particularly ''skilled'' fighter, eschewing guns and blasters in favor of his own fists, but when you're a heavy-hitting [[Dinobot (RID)|Dinobot]], sheer force is often all you need to get the job done. Grimlock's fights involve a lot of collateral damage, and the big guy's not the brightest 'bot around—he's a bit clumsy and has a tendency to both underestimate ''and'' overestimate his own strength. Even so, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] recognizes that the myriad advantages of having a robotic dinosaur on their side outweigh the downsides, and Grimlock is always excited at the prospect of smashing up some of his monstrous jailmates from his days aboard the ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]''.

Although his raw strength is enough to head most problems off at the pass, Grimlock's impulsiveness and often childlike behavior has sometimes landed him in trouble, especially after he bites off more than he can chew. Fortunately, he's tough and tenacious enough to fight his way right back out again. There is little he fears, but since coming to [[Earth]] Grimlock has developed a new phobia—a mortal dread of kittens.

Sometimes he works with the [[Mini-Con]] [[Volcano (RID)|Volcano]]. He can also combine with either [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] to form [[Primelock]] or with [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] to form [[Bumblegrim]], and he can combine even further with the rest of the [[Bee Team (RID)|Bee Team]] to form [[Ultra Bee]], though he wishes he wasn't always stuck being the combiner's legs.

In the years since his adventures with the Bee Team, he's found himself a new role as a teacher at the [[Rescue Bot Training Center|Rescue Bot Training Academy]], giving special attention to his young mentee [[Hoist (RB)|Hoist]].

{{bigquote|I hear fighting! Who's fighting?! I wanna fight!|Grimlock's first words out of his stasis cell|"[[Pilot (Part 1)]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Khary Payton]] (English), [[Frank Welker]] (roar sound effect), [[Masaomi Yamahashi]] (Japanese)|[[Alexander Kovrizhnykh]] (Russian), [[Sergio Romanò]] (Italian), [[Marco Kröger]] (German), [[Yasser Azzat]] (Arabic), [[Aku Laitinen]] (Finnish), [[Pierre Bodson]] (French), [[Andrés García]] (Latin-American Spanish, seasons 1 & 2), [[Leonardo García]] (Latin-American Spanish, season 3), [[Cássius Romero]] (Brazilian Portuguese season 1 and 2), [[Márcio Dondi]] (Brazilian Portuguese, season 3), [[Adam Bauman]] (Polish), [[Triyuh Hendra]] (Indonesian), [[Yeong-jun Si]] (Korean, Daewon Broadcasting dub), [[Kim Jung-eun]] (Korean, Tooniverse dub)}}

[[File:PilotPart2 Grimlock dino mode.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Me Grimlock look good in green!]]
Grimlock was arrested for causing severe property damage {{storylink|True Colors}} and imprisoned in a [[stasis pod|stasis cell]] aboard the prison ship ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]''. After the ship crash-landed on Earth, his was one of the only stasis cells to remain largely intact after the impact, although the cell's actual "stasis" function was disabled. While Bumblebee, [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]], and [[Sideswipe (RID 2015)|Sideswipe]] tangled with the Decepticon criminal [[Underbite]], Grimlock managed to partially break free of his cell, and enthusiastically tried to join in the fight. Before he could do so, he was restrained by [[Fixit (RID)|Fixit]], who zapped him with a taser attachment. Eventually, Grimlock managed to goad Underbite into a rage to help "free" him. {{storylink|Pilot (Part 1)}} Grimlock pursued the Decepticon to a scrapyard, though Underbite proved too much for him to handle. Joining up with [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]'s team, Grimlock enthusiastically helped bring Underbite in, and after they succeeded, Bumblebee put Grimlock on probation. {{storylink|Pilot (Part 2)}}

[[File:TrustExercises boating.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Sailing for adventure on the big blue wet thing.]]

Grimlock was the only member of Bumblebee's team to successfully complete the trust exercises, and as a result Bumblebee took him to investigate an attack on the oil tanker ''[[Windward]]''. The pair tussled with [[Hammerstrike (RID)|Hammerstrike]], though Grimlock ended up stranded at the bottom of the sea. The duo subsequently tracked the Decepticon to a nearby oil refinery and managed to catch him in a barrel. {{storylink|Trust Exercises}} Grimlock was instrumental in capturing the Decepticon [[Bisk (RID)|Bisk]]. Later, he joined in the hunt for [[Chop Shop (RID)|Chop Shop]] and wound up on guard duty. He decided to interfere anyway, and wound up getting stung into submission by Chop Shop's various components. His conspicuous alternate mode meant that he couldn't join in on the next attempt to bring in Chop Shop, so he wound up keeping [[Russell Clay|Russell]] company at the scrapyard. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye (RID)|More than Meets the Eye}}

When the team split up to search the [[Crown City Museum of Natural History and Sciences|Crown City museum]] for a Decepticon, Grimlock briefly tangled with [[Terrashock]] in a planetarium, but came off second best. Bumblebee eventually came up with a way to hunt the Decepticon on his own terms, which Grimlock enjoyed immensely. {{storylink|W.W.O.D.?}} Trying to protect a generator from [[Thunderhoof (RID)|Thunderhoof]], Grimlock ended up being left on guard by himself and was trounced by the Decepticon. Grimlock was knocked silly, suddenly believing he could fly, and had to be helped back to the scrapyard by Strongarm. {{storylink|As the Kospego Commands!}}

[[File:AsTheKospegoCommands Grimlock poised and ready.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Me Grimlock get ready to rumble!]]

Grimlock's attempts to disguise his beast mode as a truck were less than successful, resulting in him being left at the scrapyard when Bee and the others were hunting for [[Filch]] near Crown City. It later turned out they needed him after all, but only to hold up a bridge. {{storylink|Collect 'Em All}} A [[cyber-tick]] named [[Minitron]] took control of Grimlock, forcing him to fight his friends and then make off with Underbite's stasis pod. The other Autobots followed him to [[Crown River Dam]] where Minitron met with [[Steeljaw (RID)|Steeljaw]]. Although Minitron tried to goad the Autobots into attacking one another, Grimlock managed to pin him down and subdue him. As a reward, Grimlock was formally inducted into the Autobot ranks. {{storylink|True Colors}}

While Bumblebee and Strongarm were away on a mission, Sideswipe and Grimlock got to be spectators for a feud between Fixit and Denny. {{storylink|Rumble in the Jungle (RID)|Rumble in the Jungle}} After [[Ped (RID)|Ped]] raided the Bots' energon supply, the others left Grimlock to guard what was left, and went to hunt the Decepticon. Later as they attempted to trap Ped, Grimlock himself became trapped at the bottom of a pit Ped dug. {{storylink|Can You Dig It?}} After a run-in with [[Quillfire (RID)|Quillfire]] left Bumblebee with reduced maturity, Strongarm and Grimlock went to hunt the Decepticon in a carnival, only to be joined by their leader. Grimlock got used as a steed and experienced a carnival ride before Quillfire was captured. {{storylink|Adventures in Bumblebee-Sitting!}}

When [[Drift (RID)|Drift]] and [[Fracture (RID)|Fracture]] came to Earth to collect the bounty on Bumblebee, Grimlock was captured by the Decepticon to use as a ransom along with the other Autobots. {{storylink|Hunting Season}} As Bumblebee's team pursued [[Malodor]] and three other [[Skunkticon]]s, Grimlock found himself repeatedly sprayed with their debilitating toxin, and was briefly taken hostage by the Decepticon quartet. He helped capture the Skunkticons, but was again sprayed with toxin in the process. {{storylink|Out of Focus}}

The Autobots encountered the Decepticon [[Clampdown (RID)|Clampdown]], whom Grimlock found extremely creepy. The Autobots were led to tangle with Steeljaw's gang. Grimlock once again battled Underbite, and managed to gain the upper hand by force-feeding the [[Chompazoid]] plastic. The Decepticons were subdued and briefly captured until Steeljaw slipped his cuffs and caused a distraction. While Grimlock and the other Autobots were preoccupied with a runaway garbage barge, the Decepticons escaped. {{storylink|Sideways (episode)|Sideways}}

[[file:RobotsHaveNightmares Grimlock dream.jpg|thumb|right|300px|For rescuing a stray cat from a truck, Grimlock was forced to marry the Cat Prince.]]

Grimlock joined Russel for a night of scary movies, and unsuccessfully tried to frighten the young human, who claimed not to be afraid of anything. Along with the rest of the Autobots, he later travelled to a local cave system in search of [[Nightstrike]]. The Decepticon got the drop on the team and incapacitated all of them with his fear-inducing scream, forcing Grimlock to have nightmares about kittens. Although the Autobots escaped and managed to capture Nightstrike, Grimlock was still jumpy in spite of his claims to the contrary, and quickly fled at the sight of a local stray cat. {{storylink|Even Robots Have Nightmares}}

Grimlock was later dispatched to the Crown City subway system to track down another Decepticon contact, although Strongarm was less than enthused about having to tow the Dinobot all the way there. By the time they had arrived, they discovered that the demented scientist [[Vertebreak (RID)|Vertebreak]], had stolen Sideswipe's body, and was all too eager to try it out on the Autobots. Strongarm fought Vertebreak, but Grimlock was held up by passing trains. The Autobots eventually manage to take in Vertebreak, but Grimlock was too slow to outrun the oncoming train, forcing the other wheeled Autobots to carry him and the Decepticon to safety. {{storylink|Some Body, Any Body}}

Russell explained to Grimlock about the notion of "paying it forward", which confused Grimlock. With the help of the newly arrived Drift and his Mini-Cons, Grimlock helped to recapture a tank that had been commandeered by an escaped Quillfire and Springload... and deliberately made sure not to catch either of the falling Decepticons. {{storylink|One of Our Mini-Cons Is Missing}}

During a training exercise, Grimlock was injured by a falling piece of debris. Feeling that he was "the muscle" of the team and couldn't let his teammates down, Grimlock did his best to hide the injury from Bumblebee. This would eventually have repercussions when the team went underwater in pursuit of [[Octopunch (RID)|Octopunch]], who had broken into an abandoned Cybertronian spaceship. The Dinobot steadily grew weaker and less focused, unable to fight off the ship's various security measures. Eventually, Grimlock told Bumblebee the truth about the injury,and on returning to base he was patched up by Fixit. {{storylink|Deep Trouble (RID)|Deep Trouble}}

[[File:TFRIDTheChampGrimlockKick.jpg|thumb|left|300px|He crimefighting covers up a basic insecurity.]]

Grimlock's increasingly brazen shows of strength did not have the desired effect; one stunt wound up almost injuring Russell. When the other Autobots headed into Crown City in pursuit of [[Groundpounder (RID)|Groundpounder]] and [[Headlock (RID)|Headlock]], Grimlock's dinosaur alternate mode meant that he couldn't tag along. When the [[GroundBridge]] malfunctioned, however, he got his chance. With a rollcage welded to his back, Grimlock posed as "Dino-Bash", a human-built robot piloted by Denny, and challenged Groundpounder in a demolition derby at the Crown City [[Rumbledome]]. Groundpounder was eager to tangle with a real Dinobot, and initially gained the upper hand. Grimlock- with Fixit's assistance- was able to nail Groundpounder with his signature cannonball move... but not without almost bringing down the entire arena. {{storylink|The Champ}}

After Fixit reverted to his sentry programming, Grimlock was menaced by the various security measures around the scrapyard. Things were compounded by the return of Chop Shop, although Grimlock helped to bring in the Decepticon thief once again. {{storylink|The Trouble with Fixit}} Grimlock joined the gang to investigate a Decepticon signal that belonged to [[Kickback (RID)|Kickback]]. After returning to base, they discovered that Steeljaw had broken in and taken Fixit and the humans hostage. In the ensuing fight, Grimlock easily trounced Clampdown with a few well-placed tail smacks. {{storylink|Lockout}}

[[File:SimilarlyDifferent Grimlock catches rubble.jpg|thumb|right|380px|"Om..."]]
Grimlock eventually grew bored with his routine duties, and yearned for the days when he could simply smash whatever he wanted to. While on patrol he encountered [[Scowl (RID)|Scowl]], another Dinobot. The duo happily destroyed an old demolition site, but Grimlock realized that he had to do the right thing and arrest Scowl. Scowl managed to win him over and Grimlock let him walk free, on the condition that he never harm a human. Unfortunately for Grimlock, Scowl was actually one of Thunderhoof's old goons, and the Autobots rolled out to bring him in. Grimlock had to fight against a vengeful Scowl at a train station, where he helped redirect an oncoming train, and later at a spa, where he finally managed to overcome the other Dinobot with the help of a stone sculpture. Grimlock was saddened by the outcome of the fight, and mused that Scowl had never intended to change his violent ways. {{storylink|Similarly Different}}

The Autobots discovered [[Windblade (RID)|Windblade]], a charismatic 'bot who had been sent to Earth by [[Primus]] eons ago. With their ranks temporarily bolstered, Grimlock helped the team go after [[Zizza]], discovering her hiding spot at a nearby airport and then distracting her mind-controlled human pilots. {{storylink|The Buzz on Windblade}} Grimlock began feeling homesick for Cybertron and the [[Acid Wastes]]. Bumblebee tried to cheer up the team by taking them to [[Edmondville]], where they discovered the Decepticon [[Shifter]] [[Pseudo]]. Although Pseudo temporarily masqueraded as Grimlock, the team were able to spot the imposter and recapture him. {{Storylink|Ghosts and Impostors}}

After Strongarm and Sideswipe were kidnapped by Decepticons, Grimlock joined the remaining Autobots and Windblade for a raid on their hideout. When the Decepticons absconded to the [[Crown City Colossus]] with their hostages, Grimlock took the direct route by travelling underwater, although he was barred from destroying the portal by Clampdown. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 1}} Now with [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] on the loose, Grimlock teamed up with his allies- including a reborn Optimus Prime - against Megatronus and the other Decepticons. Grimlock managed to distract Megatronus long enough for the other Autobots to bring down part of the statue on their foe. In the aftermath, Grimlock opted to stay on Earth with the rest of the team. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 2}}

Grimlock was alarmed when [[Micronus Prime|Micronus]] projected a vision on his flank. Following a GroundBridge explosion, Grimlock helped (badly) to clear up and along with Bumblebee and Strongarm, was defeated by [[Overload (RID)|Overload]] when the Decepticon arrived at the scrapyard. {{storylink|Overloaded, Part 1}} After tracking Overload to a parking lot, the team split up with Grimlock and Strongarm trying to track the Cyclone Mini-Cons. They soon realized they'd actually been tracking humans, however Grimlock came up with a plan that let them maintain their cover. They caught up with Bumblebee in time to help take Overload back to base. {{storylink|Overloaded, Part 2}}

[[File:Suspended Grimlock rolls out.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot. So my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the Cretaceous, green, terrible...]]
Despite Strongarm's coaching, Grimlock was unable to establish the same level of teamwork with her that she'd had with Sideswipe, leading to them bungling the capture of [[Saberhorn]]. They eventually managed to successfully work together at the steel mill, however Grimlock ended up throwing Saberhorn through a wall and inadvertently allowing the Decepticon to escape. {{storylink|Metal Meltdown}} Grimlock took part in the pursuit of [[Crazybolt (RID)|Crazybolt]] and [[Slicedice]], during which he was able to help save some motorists accidentally endangered by Strongarm. He later helped Bumblebee try to deal with a fire caused by the two Cons, but they ended up requiring Strongarm's help to rescue some humans. {{storylink|Suspended}}

[[File:Brainpower-datacylindergonewrong.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Grimlock reads YouTube comments.]]
Bumblebee, Strongarm, and Grimlock captured the Mini-Con [[Torpor]], though the mission was nearly botched when Grimlock stumbled in on the other two Autobots as they strategised, tipping their target off to their whereabouts. Feeling that the other Autobots didn't rate his intelligence, Grimlock got Fixit's help him in trying to pass the police academy entrance exam, so that he could prove he was at least smart enough to enter the same fancy school that Strongarm had gone to. However, a mishap resulted in Grimlock downloading the entire content of a [[Cybertronian data cylinder]] into his brain. Though it greatly increased his intelligence, it also meant the eventual degradation of his neural pathways and as he joined in the hunt for [[Simacore (RID)|Simacore]], he soon found his new knowledge left him unable to effectively fight. Fixit was able to reverse the process, draining his intelligence away in time for him to defeat Simacore and rescue Bumblebee and Strongarm from a particle accelerator. {{storylink|Brainpower}}

When a wounded Steeljaw turned up at the scrapyard, Bumblebee, Strongarm and Grimlock followed the trail of energon he'd left to a disused drive in where they encountered [[Scorponok (WFC)|Scorponok]], Crazybolt, and Slicedice. Though Grimlock was beaten down at first, he and Bumblebee were able to defeat and capture them after the latter Autobot distracted the enemy with a magic trick he had learned from Russel, allowing Grimlock to get a second wind. {{storylink|Misdirection}}

[[File:Impounded-grimlocksdisguise.jpg|thumb|left|400px|Robots in Disguise Grimlock disguised as [[Grimlock (RID 2001)|Robots in Disguise Grimlock]].]]
Grimlock grew increasingly bored as the Autobots hunted down a cable in a shipping yard, one of the many components the Decepticons were gathering for their current machinations. He managed to find it, shortly before he was blasted by Springload, and then inadvertently by Bumblebee. The mission a bust, the entire team were left mentally drained after having failed to decipher the Decepticons' motives. Grimlock turned down staking out a [[Rear Axle]] concert, not sharing Bumblebee's enthusiasm for the band, when their next lead pointed to it being the Decepticons' next target. Instead, he practiced his sculpture (which simply involved smashing big rocks into smaller rocks). Bumblebee called for back-up when he encountered Bisk on the mission, and Grimlock joined Strongarm in trying to come to help, only for them to be held up by traffic. {{storylink|Bumblebee's Night Off}} When Grimlock almost blew the Autobots' cover by landing in the middle of a crowd while trying to apprehend [[Silverhound]], Bumblebee banned him from going on missions. Fixit came up with a crane disguise for Grimlock to use, and the pair headed out after Bumblebee and Strongarm left to track down Quillfire. Passing himself off as a "Dino Crane," designed to look as it did because "children love dinosaurs," Fixit and Grimlock caught up to their commander and were able to help him and Strongarm capture Quillfire. Bumblebee gave Grimlock's new disguise his approval, allowing him once more to go back into the field. {{storylink|Impounded}}

After an incident with the GroundBridge brought [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] to Earth, Strongarm and Grimlock were knocked out by the Decepticon. They recovered, only to be warped away from the junkyard alongside [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] by a portal created by Soundwave. Working together, Grimlock and Strongarm were able to shut down Laserbeak, then rushed back to the rest of the team. They arrived just as Denny, Fixit, Russel, and Bumblebee managed to get Soundwave back into the [[shadowzone (dimension)|shadowzone]], and threw the Decepticon Mini-Con back into the other dimension after its master. {{storylink|Portals}} Following another mission, Grimlock joined the stealth team via the GroundBridge, and carried an injured Drift back to base. {{storylink|Graduation Exercises}}

After a chance encounter resulted in [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] joining the team, the Autobots got a lead to the location of the group of Decepticons; an escapee Mini-Con called [[Toolbox]]. They used a ruse to infiltrate the crashed ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]'' which the Decepticons were using as their "Decepticon Island," during which Grimlock pretended to be a Decepticon returning with Autobot prisoners. Though they made good grounds once inside the ship, one of the other slave Mini-Cons blurted out a greeting to Toolbox upon seeing him returned, betraying the Autobots' presence. Grimlock's team were surrounded by the bulk of the Alchemor's remaining Decepticons soon afterwards. {{storylink|Decepticon Island (Part 1)}} Thanks to Windblade providing them with an impromptu distraction, the rest of the Autobots were able to make a break for it and split up into smaller groups. Strongarm, Grimlock, and Sideswipe were sent to try and free the Mini-Cons being held captive by the Decepticons. They ended up in a communications room where they encountered Groundpounder and Thunderhoof. Still holding a grudge against Grimlock since their last encounter, Groundpounder beat down the Dinobot while Thunderhoof dealt with the other two Autobots. Sideswipe eventually managed to incapacitate the Decepticons by using nearby equipment to broadcast a high-frequency signal, holding onto consciousness for seconds longer than the Decepticons. After using the communications equipment to free the Mini-Cons, the trio escaped the ship before the [[cryo-gas]] bomb froze everyone aboard.

With the Decepticon threat now finally dealt with, several Autobots decided to head back to their homeworld. Grimlock was not among them, choosing instead to stay behind with Bumblebee on Earth to set up a permanent base of operations, should any more peril befall the planet. {{storylink|Decepticon Island (Part 2)}} When news of the Bee Team's exploits reached Cybertron, Grimlock became one of the many Autobots blacklisted by the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]] for being a supporter of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy (RID)|Enemy of My Enemy}}

Bumblebee took his team on a tour of interesting locations on Earth, culminating in them visiting the remains of [[Autobot Outpost Omega One]], only to find a strange bomb had been set up to detonate. Grimlock was partnered with Strongarm when the team split up, only to end up stepping on a mine. He was unable to move for fear of setting the mine off, until Bumblebee found him and revealed that the "mine" was just an old armor buffer. {{storylink|History Lessons}} When Bumblebee split up the team to search sites of Cybertronian significance, Grimlock was assigned look in western [[China]]. The team was accidentally bridged back to the scrapyard instead of [[Mount St. Hilary]] because Denny and Russell didn't know what they were doing. {{storylink|Strongarm's Big Score}}

[[File:TRID S2 E16 PL MSS.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Lobster Mobster strikes again.]]
After one too many accidents, Grimlock was disgruntled when Bumblebee only assigned him one mission in the search for Cybertronian relics. During his mission, he encountered Brother [[Gunter]], who set about teaching him patience via the medium of pretzel manufacture. [[Thermidor]] and [[Tricerashot (RID)|Tricerashot]] turned up at the monastery, resulting in Grimlock calling in the rest of the team, however ultimately it was the patience he'd learned that allowed Grimlock to defeat the scavenger. {{storylink|Pretzel Logic}}

When Team Bee found a [[high energy pulse generator]] in [[Egypt]], Grimlock carried it back to the scrapyard using his crane mode, however the device was destroyed anyway when it threatened to fry their brains. Following an invasion of the scrapyard by the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, the team lost both their own Mini-Cons and their leader, after they were abducted by [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Mighty Big Trouble}} Joined by Optimus, the team split up to search for Starscream. Grimlock was first on the scene when Strongarm and Sideswipe ran into the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, but the ensuing hostilities ended when the Mini-Cons recognized Optimus, and the two groups teamed up. A short time later, they ran into the Scavengers, and then during the fight with them, the Mini-Cons were captured by Starscream. {{storylink|Mini-Con Madness (RID)|Mini-Con Madness}} [[File:TRID S2 E19 W SC 1.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Say hello to his little friend!]] Grimlock linked with Tricerashot, who'd avoided being captured, and took out the Scavengers. He and the rest of the team located Starscream's ship, and during the ensuing battle with the Decepticons, they were knocked out by Starscream. They eventually managed to defeat Starscream, despite him successfully merging with the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, by dragging him down into range of Fixit's signal so he could be de-merged. After farewelling Optimus and the Mini-Cons, Team Bee split up to search more Cybertronian sites. {{storylink|Worthy}}

Without any Decepticons to punch, Grimlock passed his time playing tic-tac-toe with his own tail. He joined Bumblebee and Drift as they traveled to [[Grand Valley]] to face a Decepticon. {{storylink|King of the Hill (Part 1)}} Grimlock found himself at a disadvantage as he was unable to outrun [[Heatseeker]]'s guided missiles, but he managed to serve as a distraction for Bumblebee and Drift to move in. The mission ended with the entire team somehow being merged into one robot, though they were unconscious at the time. {{storylink|King of the Hill (Part 2)}}

[[File:TRID S3 E3 D SC 1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|How To Train Your Dinobot.]]
Impressed by the abilities of Drift's pupils, Grimlock decided to become Drift's "poodle" too. As the team attempted to capture [[Crustacion]] in [[Antarctica]], Grimlock's attempts to put Drift's teachings into practice were surprisingly successful, and he was instrumental in capturing the 'Con. {{storylink|Defrosted}} Grimlock and the rest of the team joined up with the [[Rescue Bot]] [[Blurr (Prime)|Blurr]] as they attempted to recapture [[Ragebyte]]. {{storylink|Blurred}}

Grimlock, along with the rest of the team, found himself drawn to possess the [[Sphere of Doradus]] thanks to the strange energies it gave off. He was later able to overcome this desire thanks to his love of punching, and took part in the capture of Springload. {{storylink|Sphere of Influence}} Grimlock was part of a mission to [[West Rock]], and used his crane disguise to block the city's only exit to prevent [[Dragstrip (WFC)|Drag Strip]] and [[Wildbreak]] escaping. {{storylink|Bee Cool}}

During another attempt to capture Drag Strip, a methane explosion caused the team to again merge into a giant robot, though Grimlock was disappointed to find he was the legs. Afterwards, the team had to cope with having two Sideswipes as they continued to try to get back the relic Drag Strip had stolen. {{storylink|The Great Divide}} Grimlock and the rest of the team captured three Decepticon brothers as a result of Strongarm employing her detective skills. {{storylink|Get a Clue}}

[[File:RiD2015 Out of the Shadows Sidelock.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"The bottom. AGAIN."]]
Grimlock and Sideswipe were temporarily [[Sidelock|fused together]] during another of Fixit's combiner experiments. They and the rest of the team helped Drift recover his two Mini-Cons students after they were kidnapped by the Decepticon [[Shadow Raker]]. {{storylink|Out of the Shadows}} Another of Fixit's combiner experiments led to the Autobots temporarily switching bodies. Grimlock reveled in having Drift's vehicle mode, and gleefully took part in a road race in an attempt to stop the Stunticons, though he had difficulty working with Drift's Mini-Cons. {{storylink|Disordered Personalities}}

The team attempted to help Strongarm's friend [[Nightra]] after she turned up apparently being pursued by [[Blastwave]], only to discover that Nightra was the criminal being hunted while Blastwave an Autobot bounty hunter. When the deception was exposed aboard [[Blastwave's ship]], Grimlock put his all into hanging onto the rest of the team as they were nearly blown out of a cargo bay, before he managed to close the bay door. {{storylink|Guilty As Charged}} Grimlock developed an interest in art and started off by making a sculpture of Strongarm. {{storylink|The Golden Knight}}

[[File:TRID S3 E13 TFA MSS.jpg|thumb|right|250px|WOAH-OHHHH!]]
After allowing Fixit to experiment on him, Grimlock developed uncontrollable super speed. Despite Bumblebee restricting him to base, Grimlock - inspired by Russell's reading a ''[[Captain Plasma Beam]]'' comic to him - believed he could be an effective superhero and joined in on a mission to recapture Simacore. This didn't go well, but he did eventually successfully defeat the Con, and he took pride in Simacore's having declared him to be the Orangucon's "greatest foe". {{storylink|The Fastest Bot Alive!}}

Grimlock, no longer with the aid of super-speed, took part in a mission to prevent the Stunticons from stealing the power source for a high-speed maglev train. {{storylink|Railroad Rage}} Grimlock and the rest of the team finally managed to combine into [[Ultra Bee]] during another mission against the Stunticons. {{storylink|Combine and Conquer}} A message from Windblade sent the team to the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], where they again combined and managed to defeat the Stunticons once and for all. {{storylink|Moon Breaker}}

[[File:TRID E 63 Grimlock with rocks.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Me Grimlock love to smash rocks.]]
Russell and Grimlock began making video diaries to keep the absent Drift up-to-date. Their latest effort was interrupted by an attack which drove the Autobots from the scrapyard and forced them to seek refuge in the nearby cave system. Decepticon signals led them to the culprits—Steeljaw and his pack, and the ensuring battle endangered Crown River Dam. {{storylink|Exiles}} With the Autobots finding the cramped quarters of the caves inconvenient, Denny and Russell got Grimlock to enlarge it using his rock-smashing skills. {{Storylink|Breathing Room}} Left on monitor duty, Grimlock was distracted and missed the detection of some Decepticon signals. As a result, he became hyper-sensitive about remaining professional and not having fun on the job, which almost resulted in the Decepticons getting away with some nuclear waste until Sideswipe snapped him out of it. {{storylink|Prepare for Departure}} Grimlock took part in a mission which resulted in the defeat and capture of (most of) Steeljaw's pack at the nuclear plant. {{storylink|Prisoner Principles}}

{{bigquote|Good call, Bulkhead. Smashing stuff really does relax me.|Grimlock|[[Sick as a Bot]]}}
[[File:SickAsABot Grimlock thinking.jpg|thumb|250px|right|All his plans are ''smashing!'']]
Grimlock took part in the defeat of Soundwave, preventing the Decepticon from irradiating the entire planet. He later dressed up as "the monster from Dimension Aaargh" for Sideswipe's performance of ''[[Showcase of Shivers]]''. {{storylink|Collateral Damage}} The Autobots returned to the scrapyard and Grimlock was tasked with securing the prisoners, only to let Underbite escape. He and the other Autobots were forced to chase the 'Con, who randomly teleported thanks to a chunk of space bridge he'd eaten. {{storylink|Something He Ate}} After Bumblebee, Strongarm and Sideswipe were infected with a nanovirus, Grimlock rushed off to try to capture the Decepticon. He only succeeded once the newly arrived [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] helped him slow down and come up with a plan. {{storylink|Sick as a Bot}}

During a pursuit of Steeljaw, Grimlock and the others found themselves arrested by [[Dropforge]]. They were able to escape with Denny and Russell's help and both foiled Steeljaw's plan, and freed Dropforge from the mind control signal he was being controlled by. {{storylink|Five Fugitives}} Optimus arrived once more, sending Grimlock and the rest of the team to Cybertron where the Autobot council were using mind control on the population. On arrival, the Autobots were surrounded by security, {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy (RID)|Enemy of My Enemy}} however with the help of Dropforge and Steeljaw, they were able to gain entry to the [[High Council Tower]]. After they discovered the council were actually Decepticons, Grimlock decided the best way to eliminate the mind control was to smash everything. He then took on [[Treadshock (RID)|Treadshock]] and managed to knock him out with a tail smash. A battle ensued with the Autobots and Decepticons taking on their [[Galvatronus (RID)|combined forms]] for a last ditch struggle for Cybertron, and the Bee Team eventually prevailed. In the aftermath, Grimlock and the others returned to Earth as newly appointed ambassadors and ended up chasing after Steeljaw again. {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}}
{{--}}

====''Robots In Disguise'' shorts====
After accidentally stomping on Fixit several times during the day, Grimlock somehow got the Mini-Con stuck to his foot.
{{Storylink|Fixit Jam}} Grimlock was lent a [[Decepticon Hunter]] so he could find his signature weapon, his own fist. {{Storylink|Perfect}}

====''Rescue Bots Academy'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Terrence Flint]] (English)|[[Pierre Bodson]] (French)}}
[[File:BuddyCop camo Grimlock.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Grimlock was once a major [[Cube (sport)|Cube]] star under the name '''Steelwall'''. During his career as a player, he won MVP at the 217th Cybertron All-Bot Bowl. {{storylink|Trouble Cubed}} [[Swoop (WFC)|Swoop]] once bet Grimlock couldn't eat thirty seven rocks, but Grimlock ate forty of them. {{storylink|Dino-mite Duo}}

Grimlock joined the [[Rescue Bot Training Center]] as a new teacher, though as a result they started going through the gym equipment a lot faster. Unlike the other recruits, [[Hoist (RB)|Hoist]] was initially terrified of the Dinobot, skipping out on the class; however, when he later realized Grimlock was afraid of [[Mister Pettypaws]], he overcame his own fear. {{storylink|Tyrannosaurus Wrecked}}

Grimlock later took the recruits (minus Hoist) to [[Wayward Island|Dino Island]]. However, the group accidentally let a triceratops back through the [[GroundBridge]]. They were forced to return the hard way, with [[Whirl (RBA)|Whirl]] towing Grimlock on some improvised water skis, but Hoist had already overcome his fear of dinosaurs and dealt with the situation by the time they got back. {{storylink|Dino Hard}}

After catching [[Hot Shot (Prime)|Hot Shot]] sneaking in late to class, Chase elected to have the recruits participate in stealth training, pairing the partner-less Hot Shot with Grimlock. Hot Shot was skeptical of Grimlock's methods and doubted the large Dinobot could be at all stealthy, leading him to ditch the professor early on. However, Grimlock proved him wrong by completing the exercise while successfully evading Chase's optics, earning Hot Shot's respect. {{storylink|Buddy Cop}}

Heatwave later had the Dinobot fill in for him at the desk while he was away, though begrudgingly, he had to reveal himself in public to fool the witnesses of Medix's confused mishaps.{{storylink|Monster Savings}}

As part of the recruits' final test, Grimlock was picked to be the rescue victim whom the teachers had to carry in a relay race. His size resulted in several unfortunate mishaps, though in the final round it was Hot Shot exploiting his Gatophobia that lost the teachers their victory. {{storylink|Best Bots Forever Part 1}}

For year two, Grimlock was selected to mentor Hoist, though his expression of joy at the news sent the recruit scurrying away in fear. {{storylink|Back To School}} Hoist did his best to avoid Grimlock, but when they were assigned a mission together, Grimlock tracked him down. They joined Grimlock's old friends [[Sludge (FOC)|Sludge]] and [[Snarl (FOC)|Snarl]] aiming to retrieve a crashed spacecraft. When the three Dinobots' efforts threatened to bring a cliff down on a nearby town, Hoist came up with an alternate plan, and Grimlock realized he'd learned something from the student. {{storylink|Mission Dinobot}} He had Hoist undergo Dinobot sensitivity training and undertook a mission to rescue kittens from a mine. {{storylink|In Training}}

Heatwave had Grimlock cover for him for a few days, and so Grimlock moved a bunch of his stuff into the office. This included a classic Cube from Grimlock's Cube playing days, which Hot Shot promptly borrowed without permission. The recruits managed to lose the Cube in [[Milford]], forcing them to come to Grimlock for help, and once the Cube was safely recaptured, he promised to tell them all about his Cube days while Hot Shot did chores as punishment. {{Storylink|Trouble Cubed}} Grimlock found coming up with activities a struggle, however when Hoist discovered an old newspaper article that pointed to an energon cache in an old mine, he got Heatwave to approve a field trip to investigate. Grimlock called in Sludge and Snarl to help search, however though the Dinobots located the energon, they also caused the mine to cave in, and they had to follow Hoist's plan to extract themselves. {{storylink|The Great Energon Rush}}

Grimlock took part in the rescue of Doc Greene and [[Frankie Greene|Frankie]] when a force field dome trapped the two humans in the lab. {{storylink|Partners (RBA)|Partners}} Hoist consulted Grimlock when he was trying to decide on a new alternate mode, which unsurprisingly resulted in Hoist picking a dinosaur mode. {{storylink|Big Wheels}} Grimlock took part in a "rescue-athon" paired with Hoist. {{storylink|First Responder}}

When a sandstone butte was in danger of falling on a tree on Dino Island, Grimlock had the recruits called in to help him, Sludge and Snarl deal with the problem. They were able to safely topple the butte away from the tree. {{storylink|Bot Blog}} When Hoist accused Snarl and Sludge of messing up the Academy, Grimlock sentenced them to guard assignment on a distant gas giant, though it later turned out they were innocent. {{storylink|Things That Go Bot in the Night}} Grimlock spotted Hoist as the latter lifted weights. When Whirl needed a spotter for her trip to the [[Amazon]], Grimlock set her up with tracker [[Slash (RBA)|Slash]]. {{storylink|The Tracker}}

Grimlock joined Heatwave and [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] in helping with an imminent meteor strike on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon City]]. {{storylink|Dino-mite Duo}} When the recruits were being too quiet to be effective during their rescues, Grimlock encouraged them to be more assertive and took them on a trip to the planet [[Krimol]]... where they discovered that being loud aggravated the local wildlife. {{storylink|Don't be Alarmed}}

Grimlock was among the observers as the recruits undertook their final test of year two. He promised the "dance off to end all dance offs" would take place during the party aboard [[Citadel Secundus]], however he was put into stasis lock when an asteroid hit the Titan and created an anti-energon field. {{storylink|Space Party}} He and the rest of the teaching staff were revived after Secundus was landed safely on Earth, and attended the recruits' graduation ceremony. {{storylink|Crash of the Titan}}

====IDW ''Robots in Disguise'' comic====
[[File:IDWRID1 Grimlock dinopile.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Grimlock's reaction after seeing the Big Green dub of ''Dragon Ball Z''.]]
While checking on a stasis pod with Strongarm, Grimlock stomped on a forest fire that had broken out. He attempted to track [[Flamefeather (RID)|Flamefeather]] until Bumblebee arrived and pointed them in the direction of the [[Fun-A-Rama]] amusement park. There, they managed to track down the Decepticon and capture him (Grimlock covertly stomped him!) however when the morning crowds arrived, Grimlock was forced to pretend to be a dinosaur statue for sixteen hours to avoid blowing the Autobots' cover. {{storylink|Fire, When Ready!}} During a training exercise, Grimlock cheerfully smooshed Sideswipe by executing a "Dinopile". After taking part in a team takedown of [[Spinhead]], he repeated the maneuver on the Decepticon. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 1|Robots in Disguise #1}}

Grimlock and Sideswipe aided in the capture of [[Transit (RID)|Transit]] by directing the Decepticon into a traffic jam engineered by Fixit. During a visit by [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]]'s team, Grimlock took part in a plan to capture [[Clipshade]], though his contribution ended up with him landing on top of Sideswipe again. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 2|Robots in Disguise #2}}

After establishing the location of [[Overhead]], Grimlock and the rest of the team managed to take the Decepticon down, though not before Grimlock had suffered a few bumps and accidentally worn a hat. After Overhead supplied them with a distress beacon she claimed would bring the leader of the [[Cybercomrade Sect]], Bumblebee and Grimlock set a trap, only to encounter Clipshade, who it turned out was an Autobot double agent—Overhead was the real Sect leader. They soon returned to Strongarm to find their captive had escaped. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 3|Robots in Disguise #3}} After attempting to help coach Sideswipe on his acting, Grimlock took part in an attempt to capture Overhead. He ended up being physically tossed by the Buffaloid during the fight, but after she caused the space bridge she was working on to collapse into a black hole, Grimlock managed to save [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] from falling into it. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 4|Robots in Disguise #4}}

Following the defeat of Megatronus, Team Bee followed Decepticon signals to [[Fort Tucker]] and found themselves tangling with two [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s. Grimlock was injured shielding some unconscious humans from Vehicon missiles and had to be helped to safety by Drift. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 5|Robots in Disguise #5}} Returning to base, the team found empty stasis pods and the computer trashed, and were forced to resort to their own wits to work out where Steeljaw was. To the shock of the others, Grimlock reasoned that Steeljaw was probably in the [[Sierra Vistas]], leading them to successfully locate the cave in question, rescuing Fixit and Russell before engaging Steeljaw's crew. Grimlock battled his usual dance partner, Underbite, until the three Vehicons realized that Steeljaw was not part of Megatron's command. In the aftermath Team Bee was left with the majority of Steeljaw's team as prisoners. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 6|Robots in Disguise #6}}

====2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' books====
[[Cybertronian sport#Lobbing|Lob-ball]] star "Gridlock Grimlock" had an impromptu game using Fixit as the ball. When the team went to hunt [[Scuzzard]], Grimlock was left at base as a last line of defense, and clumsily managed to knock over Filch's stasis pod, freeing the Decepticon. He joined the team in hunting down both of the avians, taking down Scuzzard with Sideswipe's help. {{storylink|Bumblebee Versus Scuzzard}} When three of Russell's classmates invaded the scrapyard, Grimlock was forced to pretend to be a prop from a Japanese kaiju movie, which worked until he saw the cat [[tattoo]] one of the boys was sporting, and reacted with terror. Fixit detected Decepticon signals, which resulted in Grimlock and the rest of the team tangling with Underbite, Thunderhoof and [[Slink]]'s gang in a warehouse. {{storylink|Sideswipe Versus Thunderhoof}}

Grimlock was disappointed when a potential Decepticon incursion turned out to be a drill and he wouldn't get to punch anything. He got his chance when the Autobots apprehended [[Forager]], however on their next mission the Autobots were led on a wild goose chase. On their return to the scrapyard they were captured and put into stasis pods by the Ronin, where they remained until Drift was able to free them and help them turn the tables on the three Decepticons. {{storylink|Drift's Samurai Showdown}}

An attempt at a game of football went wrong when Grimlock punctured the ball with his teeth while calling "hole in one!" He and the rest of the team took on [[Skinkbomb]], only to find the Decepticon's explosives formidable, and the fight was lost when Bumblebee became distracted. Though the team thought Bumblebee might be suffering from brain rust, the next time they faced Skinkbomb, they all heard the illusionary Optimus Prime's voice and were all able to overcome the Decepticon regardless. {{storylink|The Trials of Optimus Prime}}

Grimlock, Strongarm, and Bumblebee attempted to arrest the Decepticon [[Brakepad]], only to fall foul of his lethargy-inducing powers. After they returned to the scrapyard empty-handed, Denny and Russell had to force them to go back out into the field and capture Brakepad. {{Storylink|Autobot World Tour}}

====''Legends'' comic====
Grimlock was shocked when [[Rattrap (Legends)|Rattrap]] and [[Tigatron (Legends)|Tigatron]] suddenly appeared among the Autobots, claiming to be from [[Legends World|another universe]]. {{storylink|Go! Adventure}}

====Signature ''Robots in Disguise'' comic====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Signature Robots in Disguise issue 1|Look Before You Leap}}}}

===''TransTech''===
Grimlock prowled about the streets of the Under City in Axiom Nexus, in a crowd of countless off-worlders. {{storylink|Cybertron's Most Wanted}}

===Legends World===
[[Rattrap (Legends)|Rattrap]] had a dream about the [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#TAV21|new Optimus Prime toy]] in which Grimlock and the other members of Bumblebee's team responded when Prime called their names in a display of his speaking gimmick. They then joined Optimus in dancing to "[[Try☆Transformers Adventure↑↑↑]]". {{storylink|TAV21 Optimus Prime Now on Sale!}}

After watching ''Transformers Adventure'' with [[Tigatron (Legends)|Tigatron]], Rattrap decided to use the power of the [[Legends World]] to [[#Legends comic|travel to the ''Adventure'' world through their dreams]]. They did so by sleeping near a toy of [[Grimlock (RID 2015)#Warrior Class|Grimlock]] and others. {{storylink|Go! Adventure}}

==Games==
===''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game===
<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
|500
|10
|-
|Titan Guardian
|1000
|20
|-
|Legion
|1500
|30
|-
|One-Step
|2000
|40
|-
|One-Step Gold
|2000
|40
|-
|Titan Hero
|3000
|60
|-
|Warrior
|4000
|80
|-
|Warrior Gold
|4000
|80
|-
|Warrior Asia
|4000
|80
|-
|Battlepack
|4000
|80
|-
|Hero
|6000
|120
|-
|Hero Stealthasaurus
|6000
|120
|-
|Stomp ‘N Chomp
|10000
|160
|}
</center>

When Crown City was overrun by Decepticons as a result of a stasis pod modified to clone an army, the Autobots were forced to battle them throughout the city and surrounding landscape. They eventually found that Steeljaw and another Decepticon had constructed a [[space bridge]] and defeated the pair. {{storylink|Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|Robots in Disguise}}

{{Note|The Grimlock Custom Kreon appears as a power-up item, serving as the player's support by attacking enemies. However the Kreons can suffer friendly fire from the player itself.}}

===''Protect Crown City''===
Grimlock, Strongarm, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee captured escaped Decepticons, and secured them back in their stasis pods. {{storylink|Protect Crown City}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{Charstubgames}}{{Storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}

==Toys==
===''Robots in Disguise'' (2015)===
{{note|Virtually every toy in this list has a scannable [[insignia]] sticker on it. For [[Hasbro]] releases, it temporarily unlocks that toy as a playable character in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game]], and can only be scanned once per day. [[TakaraTomy]] releases simply check that off on their mobile app's collection list. It's honestly quicker and less redundant to say which toys '''don't''' have this feature.}}

====Legion Class====
{{anchor|Legion}}
[[File:RID2015LegendsGrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm gonna burst outta your pocket in a minute!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Grimlock''' (Legion Class, 2015–2016)}}</ul>

: Part of the second wave of ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#Legion|Legion Class]] line, Grimlock is a tiny, simple toy that transforms into a robotic ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. His robot arms/dino-legs each have two 3mm ports for mounting accessories: one on each fist, and one in the elbow/knee joint. In dino mode, his shoulders are also compatible with [[5 mm post]]s.

: His robot mode head is sculpted with his battle mask up... although it's painted with his unmasked face's color. Oh, well.

: His scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot/''T. rex'' mode, on his right arm/left leg. This badge is easily scannable while still in-package.

: This figure was first released in late 2014/early 2015 the original ''Robots in Disguise'' packaging design, and then again in late 2016 in the ''Combiner Force'' [[subline imprint]] packaging refresh. And due to one of the mobile game's many updates, "unlocking" Grimlock was rendered useless by that point.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/LegGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Legion-Class Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|LegionClear}}
[[File:RID15-toy Grimlock ClearVer.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|BOOO-YAHH!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Grimlock Clear Ver.''' (EZ Collection, 2015)}}</ul>
:*''Release date'': July ?? 2015

: A [[redeco]] of Legion Class Grimlock in mostly clear plastic (the black nylon parts remaining opaque due to structural needs), "Grimlock Clear Ver." was [[campaign item|given away free]] at EDION toy department and Bic Camera stores in Japan, from July 2015 to customers who spent ¥3000 or more on ''Adventure'' product.

: Like most of the clear colored ''Adventure'' Legion Class exclusives, Grimlock has no paint operations save for his face and his ''T. rex'' head. He also lacks a scan-badge sticker, instead coming with a tiny card with his checklist scan-badge printed on it.

{{-}}{{anchor|TAV35}}
[[File:TAV-35-EZ-Collection-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Inconceivable!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1|'''Autobot VS Decepticon Set''' (Multi-pack, 2015)}}</ul>
:*''ID Number'': '''TAV35'''
:*''Release date'': [[December 19]], 2015

: Takara's "normal" version of Legion-class Grimlock is a redeco of the original Legion Class toy, this time extensively painted to make him as show-model-accurate as possible at this scale. Unlike the Hasbro release, the toy does not have a scan-badges sticker; instead the badge was printed on a small card along with the badges for the other toys in the set.

: Grimlock was only available as an ''[[EZ Collection]]'' four-pack along with [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#TAV35|Optimus Prime]], [[Steeljaw (RID)#TAV35|Steeljaw]], and [[Underbite#TAV35|Underbite]].

: Like the rest of the ''Adventure'' EZ Collection sets, some online retailers like Amazon Japan were still selling it 2 years later at greatly reduced prices (70% off).
{{-}}

====One-Step Changers====
{{anchor|OneStep}}
[[File:RID20151StepGrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|''Roll back the rock!'' ''(Hasbro version pictured)'']]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Grimlock''' (One-Step Changer, 2015)}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''TED-09'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[June 27]], 2015

: Part of the second wave of ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#One-Step Changers|One-Step changers]], Grimlock transforms from robot to ''T. rex'' and back in just one easy step... well, there is a ''tiny'' bit more than one step. One needs to turn his dino-toes into the proper "robot hand" or "dino foot" positions.

[[File:TED-09-One-Step-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1|left|thumb|''Turn back the clock!'' ''(TakaraTomy Version Pictured)'']]

: This Grimlock can ride on his [[#Stomp_.26_Chomp|Stomp & Chomp counterpart]], but does not activate any of the larger figure's gimmicks.

: His scannable Autobot insignia is in his ''T. rex'' mode, on his left shoulder. The badge is nearly impossible to be scanned while in robot mode, since his shoulder parts cover it.

: The TakaraTomy release of One-Step Changer Grimlock, released in the fourth wave of the "Easy Dynamic Series" line of toys meant for the younger set, features extensive paint applications to more closely resemble his cartoon appearance. Like his Hasbro counterpart, his scannable Autobot insignia is in his left ''T. rex'' arm. Scanning this in the ''Transformers Chronicle'' Mobile App unlocks the toy to the app's collection list.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/OSCGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on One-Step Changer Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|OneStepGold}}
[[File:RID2015-One-Step-Changer-Gold-Armor-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''Roll back the rock to the dawn of time'' ''And sing this song with me!'']]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Gold Armor Grimlock''' (One-Step Changer, 2015)}}</ul>

: This redeco of One-Step Grimlock, released in the fifth wave of ''Robots in Disguise'' One-Step Changers, has the deco of his [[Grimlock (G1)|Generation 1 namesake]].

: Like his original toy, his scannable Autobot insignia is in his ''T. rex'' mode, on his left shoulder. The badge is nearly impossible to scan while in robot mode, since his shoulder parts cover it.

{{-}}{{anchor|RIDCollection}}
[[File:RID2015-One-Step-Changers-Collection-6-pack.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1|'''Robots in Disguise Collection''' (Multi-pack, 2015)}}</ul>

: The original Grimlock One-Step Changer was also released, without notable changes, in a store-exclusive six-pack of figures.

: This set also included unchanged One-Step figures of [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#RIDCollection|Bumblebee]], [[Steeljaw (RID)#RIDCollection|Steeljaw]], [[Sideswipe (RID 2015)#RIDCollection|Sideswipe]], and [[Underbite#RIDCollection|Underbite]], plus an entirely new One-Step [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#RIDCollection|Optimus Prime]] figure available only in this set.

: This set was exclusive to [[Target]] stores in the United States, and to [[Toys"R"Us]] stores in Canada.

: Sideswipe, Steeljaw, Underbite, and Bumblebee's badges are all scannable in-package.
{{-}}

====Warrior Class====
{{anchor|Warrior}}
[[File:RID15-toy Grimlock Warrior.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Green and black, man! You got a problem with that? ''(Hasbro Version Pictured)'']]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Grimlock''' (Warrior Class, 2014–2017)}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''TAV-02'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[March 21]], 2015

: First released as part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' Warrior-Class figures, Grimlock transforms into a green and black ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. Unusual for a Warrior-Class toy in this line, he comes packaged with no accessories whatsoever. In dinosaur mode, a switch atop his head moves his jaw up and down. Grimlock's right robot mode leg also features a sculpted [[Kibble#.22Faux-parts.22|fake tail]], to symmetrically match his left leg, where his ''T. rex'' mode tail had stored with. Please take note that Grimlock's hands can't grip some weapons due to his ''T. rex'' feet being in the way.

: His scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot mode, right of his chest. The badge is easily scannable while still in-package.

: The figure suffers a [[design flaw]]: His pair of arms/legs are pretty much prone to have stress marks and/or suffer breakage, thanks to the loose grey plastic piece in the pseudo-ratchet joint. This can be fixed if the grey plastic piece is glued in place (although this will require removing metal pins).

:[[File:RID Warrior Grimlock Packaging Comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1|left|Shelf life of a 1980s figure.]][[File:Takaratomy-tav-02-grimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|''(TakaraTomy Version Pictured)'']]

: Despite being succeeded by the [[#GoldArmor|"Gold Armor" redeco]] in wave 4 (see below), the original green and black deco of the figure made a comeback in subsequent waves, in two different packaging [[variant]]s as part of the "Mini-Con Weaponizers" and "Combiner Force" [[subline imprint]]s. It is unknown whether these re-releases use the modified pseudo-ratchet joint seen on the redeco. Take note that the re-releases' badges only unlocks Energon Currency instead of the character.

: The TakaraTomy release of Grimlock, naturally part of the first wave of the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#TakaraTomy Adventure toyline|Adventure]]'' toyline, uses a slightly brighter green plastic and paint, and features extra paint applications, mostly for his alt mode's toes, and his eyebrows. Like his Hasbro counterpart, his scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot mode, right of his chest. Scanning this in the ''Transformers Chronicle'' Mobile App unlocks the toy to the app's collection list.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/Grimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Warrior-Class Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TAVVS}}
[[File:TAVVS02-Grimlock-VS-Gregevor-Boxart.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1|'''Grimlock VS Greejeeber''' (VS set, 2015)}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''TAV VS-02'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[March 21]], 2015

: The TakaraTomy release of Warrior Class Grimlock was also available in a boxed two-pack with the Decepticon [[Greejeeber#Toys|Greejeeber]].

: Both toys are identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|GoldArmor}}
[[File:RID2015-Warrior-Class-Gold-Armor-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Dumb stubbies! Yellow not same color as gold! ''(Stock photography, not final product.)'']]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Gold Armor Grimlock''' (Warrior Class, 2015)}}</ul>

: A [[redeco]] and new-head [[retool]] of the Warrior Class Grimlock toy, "Gold Armor Grimlock" features a new coloration and a battle-masked head, both inspired by his [[Grimlock (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]]. The joints in his dino-legs/robot-arms have been slightly modified to prevent stress and breakage.

: His stock photography (shown at right) features yellow paint applications, rather than orange as seen in the final product, which lean towards the coloration of the movie incarnation of Grimlock(‘s toys) more than they do the G1 coloration.

: Like his original toy, his scannable Autobot insignia is on the right of his robot mode chest. As he's packaged in robot mode, this badge is easily scannable while still in-package.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/GAGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Warrior-Class Gold Armor Grimlock at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

====Voyager Class====
{{anchor|Adventure}}
[[File:TAV30-Battle-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Do not say Yoshi.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Battle Grimlock''' (Voyager, 2015)}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''TAV30'''
:*''Release date'': [[October 24]], 2015
:*''Accessories'': Sword, shield
{{toydesigner|[[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released in the eighth wave of TakaraTomy's ''Adventure'' toyline, Battle Grimlock is an extensive [[retool]]ing of ''Generations'' [[Grimlock (WFC)#Generations|Voyager Class Grimlock]], replacing his heads, shoulders, knee plates, and entire torso to better resemble his cartoon counterpart. He comes with a sword with a [[5 mm post|5mm handle]] and a peg on either side of the hilt, as well as a shield which can mount via its single peg. Grimlock is fairly loaded with 5 mm ports for accessories, having them on his hands, forearms/lower dino legs, and shoulders/dino hips. The hollow sides of his dinosaur arms feature [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]-compatible [[C joint|3mm ports]]. The LED gimmick on previous releases of the mold has been removed for this release.

: His scannable Autobot insignia is in his left ''T. rex'' leg/right robot mode arm. Scanning this in the ''[[Transformers Chronicle (toyline)|Transformers Chronicle]]'' mobile app unlocks the toy in the app's collection checklist.

: This toy can be armored up with Mini-Con [[Divebomb (RID)#Robots in Disguise|Divebomb]], despite being a differing faction. Divebomb's armor may be connected to Battle Grimlock in either mode. Divebomb himself may be stored on Grimlock's robot shoulders or in his dinosaur undercarriage.{{Fact}}
{{GenerationsFOCGrimlockMold}}
{{-}}

====Hyper Change Heroes / 3-Step Changers====
{{anchor|HyperchangeHeroes}}
[[File:RID15-toy Grimlock 3step.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Me Grimlock have feet for hands and hands on feet! ''(Hasbro version pictured)'']]
[[File:Takaratomy-ted-02-grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''(TakaraTomy Version Pictured)'']]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Grimlock''' (Hyper Change Heroes / 3-Step Changer, 2015)}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy name'': '''Big Grimlock'''
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''TED-02'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[March 21]], 2015

: Part of the first wave of [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#Three-Step Changers|''Robots in Disguise'' Three-Step Changers]], this roughly Voyager-sized Grimlock transforms from robot to ''T. rex'' in just three easy steps, with some partial [[autotransformation]] when his torso is twisted around. His scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot mode, middle of his chest. However the badge ''cannot'' be scanned while he's in ''T. rex'' mode.

: Although the toy is listed as a "3-Step Changer", there are actually two more optional steps: pulling the tail off before transformation (then reinserting it after), and positioning the ''T. rex'' arms out of the way. However, it's possible to transform Grimlock with the tail installed anyway, and really that dino-arms one is kind of a stretch to call it a "step", but hey.

: Three-Step Grimlock does not have [[5 mm post]]-compatible hands, but does feature said ports on his front ''T. rex'' legs instead, placing them on his forearms behind his (hidden) fists. Thanks to the dino-toes on his arms, giving him weapons (or Mini-Con Weaponizers) to wield can be awkward.

: The TakaraTomy ''Adventure'' version of this toy, released in the the fourth wave of the "Easy Dynamic Series" (basically all the simplified 1- to 3-step toys) features quite a lot more paint, making him much more show-accurate. Like his Hasbro counterpart, his scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot mode, middle of his chest. Scanning this in the ''Transformers Chronicle'' Mobile App unlocks the toy in the app's collection list. Unlike the American release, '''Big Grimlock''' is packaged in a windowed box, instead of an an open package.

{{-}}{{anchor|ThreeStepStealthasaurus}}
[[File:RID2015-Three-Step-Stealthasaurus-Rex-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Bumblelock?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Stealthasaurus Rex Grimlock''' (Hyper Change Heroes / 3-Step Changer, 2016)}}</ul>

: This Grimlock is a redeco of the 3-Step Changer above, with some of his green plastic replaced with black (mainly his dino-legs/robot-arms), and all of his green paint removed and replaced with yellow paint in different layouts.

: The toy was solicited as '''Stealthasaurus Grimlock''' in the ''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game.

: For unknown reasons, the 3-Step Changer assortment was halted in the United States for the better part of a year, which resulted in Stealthasaurus Rex Grimlock not appearing at US retail until ''nine months'' after he had been released in Australia. Afterwards, the assortment continued at a normal pace.

{{-}}{{anchor|HyperSwoop}}
[[File:TF-RID2015-Combiner-Force-3-Step Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"I have fist-balls of steel!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Grimlock''' (3-Step Changer, 2017)}}</ul>

: Released in the eleventh wave of 3-Step Changers under the "[[Combiner Force]]" subline, "Hyper-Swoop" Grimlock is an entirely a new mold with a completely different transformation scheme, which actually results in fairly show-accurate robot and ''T. rex'' modes.

: Due to his transformation scheme, he ends up having two ''T. rex'' toes on his ''T. rex''/robot mode legs.
{{-}}

====Stomp & Chomp====
{{anchor|RID2015Stomp&Chomp}}
[[File:RID2015-Stomp-and-Chomp-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Yo Bee, you remember that I used to transform into a mechanical mess of a ''T. rex''?"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Electronic Stomp & Chomp Grimlock''' (One Step Changers, 2015)}}</ul>

: Stomp & Chomp Grimlock is a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' [[Grimlock (AOE)#Stomp&Chomp|Stomp & Chomp Grimlock]], minus his sword (and bonus [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Stomp&Chomp|Optimus Prime figure]]), transforming from a robotic ''T. rex'' to a 22-inch-tall robot by pulling the trigger on the handle in his back and pulling back, which also activates the classic transformation sound.

: In robot mode, his electronics are triggered by the dino-teeth, which end up behind his robot head. Pressing them makes his eyes light up and cycles through various guttural growls and gravelly speech snippets, mainly variations of "GRIMLOCK DESTROY!".

: In dino mode, pushing his head downward opens his jaw and makes his eyes light up yellow, with electronic roaring sounds. When his upper teeth are pushed in, like by say making him chomp down on an unlucky Decepticon toy, he makes a "chomping" sound. He also has a pair of pop-out (non-firing) weapons in his sides, which are deployed by small buttons under flip-out panels on his back just in front of them. The short cannon makes his eyes light up red, and the long gun makes them light up green. The activation buttons were originally designed to be pressed by placing any ''Age of Extinction'' One-Step Changer or Power Attacker figure's magnetic feet in those revealed compartments, and while some ''Robots in Disguise'' One-Step Changers ''can'' fit there to ride the mighty dino, they weren't designed to actually trigger those gimmicks, so they don't.{{fact}}

: All of his electronics can be turned on and off with a simple switch on his back; if left in the "on" position, the electronics will just keep going. The "Demo" setting will turn them off after a period of inactivity. They are also all the same sounds as found in the ''Age of Extinction'' release, which just adds to the "yeah this don't feel very ''Robots in Disguise'' Grimlock" vibe.

: Grimlock comes partially disassembled in-package, with his right leg and tail needing to be attached to complete him. His scannable Autobot insignia is in his handlebar.

: Like the original mold, Stomp & Chomp Grimlock ended up being a [[shelfwarmer]].
{{-}}

====Mini-Con Battle Packs====
[[File:RID2015-Minicon-Battle-Pack-Grimlock.jpg|upright=2.5|thumb|Me Grimlock feel excellent, [[Megatron (BW)|yeeeess]].]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1|'''Decepticon Hunter Grimlock with Mini-Con Decepticon Back ''' (Mini-Con Battle Pack, 2016)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Helmet/chest armor, left & right breastplates, left & right shoulder armor, left & right saw-blades

: Part of the second wave of Hasbro Mini-Con Battle Packs, "Decepticon Hunter Grimlock" is similar in size of a Scout Class figure (in Grimlock's case, the size of ''Cyberverse'' Commander figure), with its transformation engineering borrowed from the [[Grimlock (WFC)#Warrior Class|Warrior]] class figure. He comes with multiple transparent-plastic armor pieces, which could come in either yellow or orange. The armor pieces can be combined into a ''Tyrannosaurus'' head that can fit over his beast mode head like a helmet, giving him a hilarious giant transparent ''Tyrannosaurus'' head over his actual ''Tyrannosaurus'' head. As an undocumented feature, the ''T. rex'' head can be used as a hand-held weapon (well, technically, an arm-mounted weapon via a pair of tabs, but it looks hand-held). His scannable Autobot insignia is in his ''T. rex''/Robot chest, accessible in robot mode and in-package.

: There are a few minor construction issues with this toy. Depending on how tight the shoulder ball joints are, the tabs that connect his shoulders and the upper body had a tendency to get undone easily with little handling force, but it can be partially amended by adding the armor pieces 3 & 4 onto the chest. The 5mm hexagonal peg-holes on his dino legs/robot arms (depending on which piece of course) also have a tendency to develop some stress marks due to not being properly molded. This can be fixed by [[Customizing|widening the hole with a 5mm drill bit]], though this results in a circular peghole instead.

: Grimlock was sold in a two-pack with the Decepticon Mini-Con [[Back#Toys|Decepticon Back]].

{{-}}{{anchor|TAV42}}
[[File:TF-Adventure-Mini-Con-Battle-Pack-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Volcano Armor in red, Supreme Armor in blue.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Volcano & Grimlock Volcano Armor''' (Multi-pack, 2016)}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''TAV42'''
:*''Release date'': [[April 23]], 2016
:*''Accessories'': Volcano Armor pieces (helmet/chest armor, left & right breastplates, left & right shoulder armor, left & right saw-blades)

: The TakaraTomy version of Battle Pack Grimlock was released in the fourteenth wave of the ''Adventure'' toyline, under the ''Prime of Micron'' [[subline imprint]]. While largely identical to the Hasbro version, he has some more paint applications to more closely resemble his appearances in the cartoon, though the ''T. rex'' arms & hips/robot shoulders are not painted due to being molded with [[unpaintable plastic]]. His armor pieces, now dubbed the "Volcano Armor", are cast in clear-red plastic.

: This time he comes with the Autobot-aligned Mini-Con [[Volcano (RID)|Volcano]].

{{anchor|TAV45}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Optimus Prime & Grimlock Supreme Armor set''' (Multi-pack, 2016)}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''TAV45'''
:*''Release date'': [[April 23]], 2016
:*''Accessories'': Supreme Armor pieces (helmet/chest armor, left & right breastplates, left & right shoulder armor, left & right saw-blades)

: Grimlock was also released in a multi-pack in the same wave as his "individual" release. The base toy is identical, even having the same ''[[Transformers Chronicle (toyline)|Chronicle]]'' app sticker, but now his "Supreme Armor" parts are cast in clear-blue, and his partner Mini-Con "Supreme Power" Volcano now sports a matching green-and-black coloration.

: This set also includes similarly-"Supreme" versions of [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#TAV45|Optimus Prime]] and his Mini-Con partner [[Gravity#TAV45|Gravity]].
{{-}}

====Team Combiners====
{{anchor|TeamCombiner}}
[[File:TF-RID2015-Team-Combiner-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Gabu Gaburincho; Grimlock!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Ultra Bee''' (Team Combiner, 2017)}}</ul>

: This small, ultra-simple version of Grimlock transforms from ''T. rex'' into robot. He is also designed to combine with the other toys in his set ([[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#Team Combiners|Bumblebee]], [[Sideswipe (RID 2015)#Team Combiners|Sideswipe]] and [[Strongarm (RID)#Team Combiners|Strongarm]]), forming the waist and legs to the super robot [[Ultra Bee#Toys|Ultra Bee]]. As with all Team Combiner torsos, Grimlock's combined mode has his hip swivels molded together, meaning the front-to-back movement is in tandem.

: Unfortunately, due to his transformation, his dino mode ends up having an unambiguous pair of robot legs sticking out of its butt in place of an actual tail. The set's instructions say that the included [[Drift (RID)#Team Combiners|sword accessory]] can attach onto the inner square-shaped slots (though the instructions are unclear) in his ''T. rex'' mode to sort of disguise/compensate for this, but the connection is not exactly secure.

: Each toy in this set uses the same universal combination joint as the other Team Combiners and [[Crash Combiner]]s, which can lead to some... ''interesting'' combinations, given that most robots form very specific body parts when combined. Mixing Crash Combiners with Team Combiners leads to some ''especially'' weird results.
{{-}}

====Crash Combiners====
[[File:TF-RID2015-Crash-Combiner-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Dynasaur Combination!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Grimlock / Optimus Prime''' (Crash Combiners, 2018)}}</ul>

: Part of the fourth and final wave of ''Robots in Disguise'' Crash Combiners, this roughly Scout-sized version of Grimlock changes from a (front-heavy) ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' into a robot in a moderate eight steps, deviating from the other Crash Combiners' simplified transformations. He can also spread his legs for a more dramatic pose thanks to his combined form's transformation scheme. Unlike most of the Crash Combiner components, Grimlock features swiveling joints on his arms ''and'' 3mm compatible hands. He also has a little green arrow above the connector on the rear section (which is covered by his tail/gestalt kneecaps) indicating where to crash him to combine with other figures. A [[5 mm post]] hole on top of his ''T. rex'' back can accommodate a compatible accessory or Weaponizer Mini-Con, though he cannot use it in his individual robot mode's 3mm hands.

: Grimlock comes packaged with [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Primelock|Optimus Prime]], and is intended to combine with him to form [[Primelock]]'s lower torso. Connecting them to each other will activate Optimus Prime's automatic transformation, while Grimlock must be converted manually. And due to Grimlock's unique added transformation steps, Optimus Prime (and the other torso bots) ''cannot'' directly crash and combine with Grimlock unless his tail is moved out of the way. Grimlock can also combine with any other Crash Combiner figure to form a random Combiner (or weird monstrosity if you combine him with a not-an-upper-torso robot).

: This two-pack was a very late addition to the ''Robots in Disguise'' line, with a Hasbro product code number in the same region as the first-wave [[Prime Master]]s from ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]''. Thus, it really didn't get a lot of distribution.
{{-}}

===''Kre-O''===
[[File:KreO-Toy GrimlockCustomKreon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|"Ah! It's Big Green!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Grimlock''' (Custom Kreon, 2015)}}</ul>
:*''Set number'': B1235
:*''Pieces'': 23
:*''Accessories'': Parts rack, extra clear body parts (torso, helmet, left & right legs, left & right arms), buildable ax, sword

: Part of the sixth wave of ''[[Kre-O]]'' Custom [[Kreon]]s, and the first ''Robots in Disguise''-themed wave, Grimlock uses the new 2015 Kreon construction with the hollow waist-peg and "raised" hands. He comes with a buildable parts rack on which to hang/store his extra pieces. Unlike the previous Custom Kreons, he no longer features a chromed helmet, and comes with an extra clear-plastic helmet, torso, legs, and his arms, plus a two-sided ax and a chromed sword. He has an adorable printed scream.

: Despite what the instructions say, the body piece cannot be pegged down between the leg parts installed on the display stand. However this can be amended by adding a 2x1 brick piece.

: All of the 2015 ''Transformers [[Kre-O]]'' product was skipped by retailers in the US (at first), seeing release in Canada, Australia and various Asian markets. In late 2015, much of the line was finally released at discount in the US through TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores, including this set.

{{-}}{{anchor|CustomRID2017}}
[[File:KreO-toy Grimlock RID CustomArmor.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Even Bigger Green.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Armor Up Grimlock''' (Custom Kreon, 2017)}}</ul>
:*''Set Number'': B5711
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Blizzard Strike Grimlock''' (Custom Kreon, <s>2017</s>)}}</ul>
:*''Set Number'': ??
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Night Strike Grimlock''' (Custom Kreon, <s>2017</s>)}}</ul>
:*''Set Number'': ??
:*''Pieces'': 28
:*''Accessories'': Left & right leg extensions, 2 arm extensions, chest armor, 2 shoulder armor parts, buildable pick axe/hammer

: Another series released without any prior announcement from Hasbro, this new Custom Kreon Grimlock set features extension parts for the arms and legs used for the Kreons included in the China exclusive ''Armor Hero Captor'' sets. Of course, the Kreon can also be displayed without adding any armor parts.

: Grimlock was advertised as coming in three different color versions: the standard-colors "Armor-Up", white-themed "Blizzard Strike", and black-themed "Night Strike" (the only redeco to feature a show-accurate helmet color). The building sets saw release through Dollar General alongside several other "exclusive" ''Kre-O'' sets, but ''only'' the normal "Armor Up" coloration for Grimlock has ever been found; it's likely "wave 2" of the assortment was never actually produced.
{{-}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
[[File:RID2015-Platinum-Edition-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Namekian Goku, Namekian.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Bumblebee & Grimlock''' (Platinum Edition 2-pack, 2016)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Energo Sword", shield

: The Hasbro ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' Grimlock is a redeco of the TakaraTomy [[#Adventure|''Adventure'' Battle Grimlock]] toy (itself a redeco/retool of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' Voyager-class [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Generations|Grimlock]] toy). ''Platinum Edition'' Grimlock replaces his black paint with gunmetal, and features other minor deco differences on some of his parts.

: His scannable Autobot insignia is on his left ''Tyrannosaurus'' leg/right robot mode arm. The badge is inaccessible while in package.

: His [[stock photography]] (at right) depicts a mistransformed robot mode, failing to properly extend his robot-mode legs.

: Grimlock was bundled with a redecoed [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#PlatinumBeeGrimlock|Warrior Class Bumblebee]]. In the United States, this set was [[exclusive]]ly available via online retailer [[Entertainment Earth]], although it was also stocked by several smaller US-based online retailers who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was released in Singapore, as a [[Walmart]] exclusive in Canada, and sold at Ripley stores in Chile.

: This figure was listed as "Warrior Asia Grimlock" in the ''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game.
{{GenerationsFOCGrimlockMold}}
{{-}}

===''Rescue Bots Academy''===
[[File:RBA-toy Grimlock.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|Ready for his role in ''{{w|Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch}}.'']]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-rb|'''Grimlock''' (Rescan, [[2019]])}}</ul>

: Part of the first(?) wave of ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (toyline)|Rescue Bots Academy]]''-branded-packaging "Rescan"-scale toys, Grimlock is an ''adorable'' happy little robotic t-rex, in [[Grimlock (G1)|traditional Grimlock-ey gray and gold deco]], who transforms into his motorcycle vehicle mode in two "Easy 2 Do" steps. Something he probably [[Impounded|wishes he could've done sooner]].

: Did we mention he's ''adorable''? He is.
{{-}}

===''Buzzworthy Bumblebee''===
[[File:Buzzworthy_Crash_Combiner_Bumblegrim.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Bumblegrim" may not be a great name, but at least it wasn't "Bumlock". There's medications for that.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Grimlock / Bumblebee''' (Crash & Combine, [[2021]])}}</ul>

: ''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' Crash & Combine Grimlock is a mostly gray and yellow redeco of [[#Crash Combiners|Crash Combiners Grimlock]]. He comes packaged with [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Bumblebee]] and is intended to combine with him to form [[Bumblegrim]]'s lower torso.

: The packaging features new, ''Robots in Disguise''-styled art of Bumblegrim, though curiously Grimlock and Bumblebee are individually represented by "[[Evergreen]]" character art.

: This set, as well as the one listed below, were released without any prior announcement from Hasbro or [[Target]] (the store chain that exclusively carried the ''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' line in the US), catching many fans by surprise. The actual price tag for these sets also could vary from store to store, unfortunately.

{{-}}{{anchor|Primelock}}
[[File:Buzzworthy_Crash_Combiner_Primelock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Locktimus Prime? ...no]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Grimlock / Optimus Prime''' (Crash & Combine, 2021)}}</ul>

: A second ''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' Crash & Combine Grimlock, a gray and blue redeco of the mold above, was also released without prior announcement at the same time as the Grimlock/Bumblebee set.

: Just like the original release of the mold, this version comes with [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Optimus Prime]] (though in a different deco this time), and is intended to combine with him to form [[Primelock]]'s lower torso.

: Just like the set above, the packaging shows Primelock rendered in ''Robots in Disguise'' styling, but uses the painted-look "Evergreen" art for Grimlock and Optimus's individual portraits.
{{-}}

===''Dinobot Adventures''===
[[File:Dinobot Adventures Squad Grimlock toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|[[Hal|close enough...]]]]
*'''Predaking / Grimlock / Dinobot Snarl''' (Dinobot Squad 3-pack, 2021)
{{toydesigner|[[Marcelo Matere]] (Packaging artist)}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I have worked on all those packages ;).|link=https://twitter.com/marcelomatere/status/1671915603337306112|site=Twitter|name=Marcelo Matere|year=2023|month=6|day=22}}</ref>

: ''[[Transformers: Dinobot Adventures|Dinobot Adventures]]'' Grimlock is a redeco of the ''Rescue Bots Academy'' motorcycle Grimlock in colors that much more closely resemble his original Generation 1 incarnation, with the red stripes on his ribs and etc.

:Grimlock is only available in a "Dinobot Squad" three-pack, alongside [[Predaking (Prime)#Dinobot Adventures|Predaking]] and [[Snarl (FOC)#DinoSquad3pack|Dinobot Snarl]].
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===''Tiny Titans''===
[[File:Transformers-Tiny-Titans-1-Grimlock.jpeg|upright=1.33|thumb|Me Grimlock is sick of your stupid comments!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Tiny Titans, 2015)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''2/12'''

:Part of the initial assortment of ''[[Tiny Titans]]'' [[blindpacking|blindpacks]], this version of Grimlock is a very small, soft-plastic figure of in [[beast mode]], spitting fire out of his mouth like he never did.

: He includes a collectible card that includes a scan-badge for the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game]], which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/TTGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Tiny Titans'' Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TinyTitans2}}
[[File:Transformers-Tiny-Titans-4-Grimlock.jpeg|upright=1.33|thumb|If your left hand tempts you, cut it off, please!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Tiny Titans, 2016)
**''Series'': '''4'''
**''Number'': '''11/12'''

:Part of the fourth assortment of ''Tiny Titans'', this version of Grimlock is now molded in robot mode, brandishing a shield and tail-sword that he never used in the cartoon.

:As per usual, he includes a collectible card that includes a scan-badge for the ''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game, which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.
{{-}}

===McDonald's===
{{-}}{{anchor|McDonalds}}
*'''Grimlock''' (2015)
**''McNumber'': '''2'''
{{charstubtoys}}
{{-}}

{{-}}{{anchor|McDonaldsMask}}
*'''Grimlock Transforming Mask / Grimlock Mask''' (2016/2017)
[[File:Grimlock McDonalds Mask.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33]]
:Part of the third [[McDonald's]] Happy Meal promotion for ''Robots in Disguise'' in the US (fourth globally), this mask features a light-up Autobot insignia and two small mandibles that can be flipped out to simulate Grimlock's toothy jaw.

: Scanning the figure into the "McPlay" app opens up some ''Transformers / My Little Pony'' activities.

: This set of masks was first released in Asian markets in early 2016. In October 2017, the four masks were matched with four figures from the early-2017 non-US promo and finally released in the US in a joint promotion with ''My Little Pony''.
{{-}}

{{-}}{{anchor|McDonalds2}}
[[File:McDRID2017Grimlock.JPG|thumb|upright=1.33]]
*'''Grimlock / Grimlock Figure''' (2017)
**''Accessories'': Missile launcher, missile

:Part of the third McDonald's Happy Meal promotion for ''Robots in Disguise'' in the US (fifth globally), this Grimlock is a non-transforming action figure with articulation at the neck and shoulders. His oversized missile launcher accessory uses a [[5 mm post]] for its handle, making him compatible with most other "modern" ''Transformers'' accessories. He features a port on his back as well as appropriately-sized open hands.

: Scanning the figure into the "McPlay" mobile app opens up some ''Transformers / My Little Pony'' activities.

: This set of toys was first released in European markets in early 2017. In October 2017, four of the five figures were matched with the masks from the 2016 non-US promo and finally released in the US in a joint promotion with ''My Little Pony''.
{{-}}

===Kinder Surprise===
*'''Transformers: Robots in Disguise''' (2015)
:Only available inside a blindpacked chocolate egg as part of Kinder's ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' series, this buildable Grimlock mini-figure consists of a generic "cog" onto which his limbs and armor can be clipped to construct him. He is unique as his cog is mounted sideways instead of facing forward like the other figures from the line.
{{-}}

===''Titan Heroes''===
[[File:RID2015-Titan-Heroes-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Titan Heroes, 2016)
:A 12-inch, simplified non-transforming statue of ''Robots in Disguise'' Grimlock with five points of articulation.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is on his robot mode chest. Scanning this in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game]] temporarily unlocks the Titan Hero Grimlock figure as a playable character if the player has not permanently unlocked it already. This badge is easily scannable while still in-package.
{{-}}

===''Transformers Adventure Gum''===
[[File:Kabaya rid grimlock alt robot1.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Sometimes compromises have to be made, and sometimes the compromises give ''T. rex''es a red mullet.]]
*'''Grimlock''' (2016)
:Part of the ''Adventure'' Shokugan series, this Grimlock is a snap-fit kit molded in black, blue, and red plastic with detailing from stickers. The kit can convert into a ''T. rex'' when finished. Its transformation engineering is borrowed from the Legion and Warrior class figures. His design requires that his ''T. rex'' legs/robot arms and tail panels removed and swapped to "[[Partformer|transform]]" his robot mode.

{{-}}

===Surprise Drinks===
[[File:TF-RID2015-Surprise-Drinks-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Grimlock''' (2016)

:''Surprise Drinks'' Grimlock is a show-accurate 1.5-inch non-transforming figure (in his Dino mode) hidden inside the separate capsule taped together with the bottle. Since they're blindpacked, the figure can be found in any randomly-packed bottles, so... good luck.

{{-}}

===Dickie Toys===
[[File:TF-RID2015-Dickie-Toys-Robot-Warrior-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|The closest you'll get to an homage of his "I'm a truck!" scene from the cartoon.]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Robot Warrior, 2017)

:Manufactured by Dickie Toys, this Grimlock is a customized hot rod (what?) which also transforms (if by transform, we mean lifting the car up) into a 2-wheeled ''T. rex'' (yeahbutwha?) in just one simple step. He can also activate lights & sounds by pressing the rear left button in his vehicle mode. The light-up gimmick is featured on his transparent nose and the underneath of the "feet" section. Batteries included.

{{-}}{{anchor|1/16ScaleRC}}
[[File:TF-RID2015-Dickie-Toys-RC-Rumble-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Also reminding us of Zod from the original Go-Bots line.]]
*'''RC Rumble Grimlock''' (1/16 Scale Remote Controlled, 2017)
**''Accessories'': Remote Control, 3 Batteries, battery box, USB cord
:The 1/16 scale version of Grimlock ''also'' transforms from the same customized car into a ''T. rex'' with the included remote control. He also comes with an additional USB cord, presumably meant for recharging.

{{-}}
====Die-cast Cars====
*'''Grimlock''' (Single Pack, 2017)
:Released as part of the Single Pack assortment, Grimlock is a non-transforming die-cast vehicle which is entirely based on his "Robot Warrior" hot rod toy.

{{-}}
*'''Grimlock''' (Power-up, 2017)
:The single-packed Bumblebee is redecoed with metallic-blue paint.

{{-}}

*'''Grimlock''' (Neon, 2017)
:This Grimlock features a brighter hue of green.

{{-}}

*'''Grimlock''' (Cybertron, 2017)
:This Grimlock features a gray scale redeco.

{{-}}

*'''Grimlock''' (Energon, 2017)
:This Grimlock features a shiny metallic redeco!

{{-}}

*'''Robots in Disguise 5-pack''' (2017)
*'''Robots in Disguise 8-pack''' (2017)
*'''Robots in Disguise 11-pack''' (2017)

:A small, non-transforming yet show-accurate figurine of Grimlock is released in either of the sets above.

{{-}}

==Notes==
*Grimlock speaks normally in ''Robots in Disguise'', making him the first animated depiction of the character to do so on a regular basis. He still refers to himself in the third person a fair bit but when it happens it's more intentional than a display of any lower intelligence.
*He is also the first version of the character to not be the leader of the Dinobots. The ''Rescue Bots Academy'' episode "The Great Energon" rush would later assert the opposite, however.
*This version of Grimlock serves as a demonstration of the choice that is required to join a faction in a ''Transformers'' series. Although he is labeled as a Decepticon by Autobot authorities, he displays on two separate occasions that, inherently, he more aligns with Autobot beliefs as his hesitancy to deliberately harm innocent humans in his interactions with both [[Minitron]] and [[Scowl (RID)|Scowl]] prove.
*Grimlock's design in the ''Rescue Bots Academy'' series more closely resembles the distinct [[Grimlock (WFC)|''Fall of Cybertron'' character]], though this is largely due to Hasbro's use of the [[evergreen]] designs rather than any intentional reference. Notably, he never transforms into his robot mode for the entire run of the series.

===Two Grimlocks?===
{{multiple image|align= right|direction= horizontal
|image1= RobotsInDisguise-stegosaurconceptart.jpg|width1=300
|image2= Backlash RID2015.jpg|width2=147
}}
For years, the "Aligned" continuity was meant to be one big ongoing timeline with a bit of squinting: the ''War for Cybertron'' Soundwave was the ''Prime'' Soundwave etc. Grimlock's debut in ''Robots in Disguise'' was initially the focal point of discussion amongst fans, with a great deal of debate about whether or not this jovial take on the character was intended to be the same guy who appeared in the ''Fall of Cybertron'' video game and tie-in comics. Some of the discrepancy in Grimlock's characterization and origin story in ''Robots in Disguise'' can be attributed to the fact that Grimlock was not originally slated to be a member of the cast, with his role originally filled by a new Transformer named "Backlash" who would have become a red ''Stegosaurus'', with both male and female designs put forward. This character was scrapped in favour of Grimlock at Hasbro's request, intended to capitalize on the [[2014]] debut of his [[Grimlock (AOE)|live-action counterpart]] in ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]''.

Series writer [[Mairghread Scott]] clarified that the producers had subsequently discussed attempting to work ''Fall of Cybertron'' Grimlock's origin story into ''Robots in Disguise'', but abandoned the idea after the writers decided that the "other" Grimlock's origin story would be at odds with the largely upbeat tone of the show. The writers ultimately decided to focus on staying in canon with the ''Prime'' television show, while ignoring other works of Aligned fiction such as the video games, in regards to Grimlock. Scott declined to discuss if this meant that there were two Grimlocks in the continuity.<ref>{{Citesocial|link=http://mscottwrites.tumblr.com/post/117608543176/answering-some-asks|quote=There was some discussion at one point of whether or not we could translate the character, but TFPBH Grimlock was too dark to gel properly with RID's group of young recruits and the more uplifting tone we were going for. Whether that means the comics got cut out of canon or there is another Grimlock out there isn't something I can answer just yet.|name=Mairghread Scott|website=Tumblr|year=2015|month=04|day=28}}</ref> Series producer Adam Beechen later weighed in with the answer that “Grimlock might be a common name among dinos”, and stated that the writers consider Grimlock a separate character to the individual who appeared in ''Fall of Cybertron''.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Yes. Grimlock might be a common name among Dinos. But ours is one of a kind!|link=https://twitter.com/sonnova/status/606586570980749312|name=Adam Beechen|site=Twitter|year=2015|month=06|day=04|(defunct=)}}</ref> Barring a dramatic reorganization of continuity, we now consider these two Grimlocks as separate entities.

When this Grimlock appeared in ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|Rescue Bots Academy]]'', his backstory was fleshed out further, revealing that he previously went by the name "Steelwall" before he went by Grimlock, distinguishing him from the other Grimlock even more.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Grimlock''' (グリムロック ''Gurimurokku'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Mogorva''' ("Grim"),<ref>''Robots in Disguise'' game, ''Rescue Bots Academy''</ref> '''Zordzár''' ("Zordlock")<ref>''Rescue Bots Academy'' occasionally</ref>
*''Mandarin:'' '''Gāng Sǔo''' (钢锁, "Steel Lock")
*''Russian:'' '''Smel'chak''' (Смельчак, "Daredevil")

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

[[Category:Aligned Dinobots]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:McDonald's exclusives]]
[[Category:Rescue Bots Academy Autobots]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2015) Autobots]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2015) combiners]]
[[Category:Bee Team (RID)]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2015) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:Toys"R"Us exclusives]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]

Swindle (Armada)

2026-01-22T16:35:26Z

Silverfoil:

{{factions|minicon|decepticon}}
{{disambigm|Swindle (disambiguation)|Spark Grid}}

:''Swindle is a [[Decepticon]]-allied [[Mini-Con]] from the [[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]] portion of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family]].''

[[Image:Swindle-AR-model.gif|right|250px|thumb|Even the Mini-Cons have abandoned me.]]
'''Swindle''' is a sneak who is mainly concerned for himself. He's a smooth talker with a gift of gab and bluff who can wheedle people into seeing his way...at least, long enough to get what he wants. He actually gets along very well with his [[Decepticon]] "partner" [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], but how much of that is a ploy to catch the Decepticon unawares has yet to be seen. Swindle lacks the strength of character to be a good guy, but suffers too many pangs of conscience to be a bad guy, try as he might. Swindle is also the cousin of [[Zapmaster (Armada)|Zapmaster]], whatever that actually means.

{{bigquote|Deals are made to be broken.|Swindle's [[bio]] quote.}}

==Fiction==
===Toy pack-in comics===
Swindle accompanied [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] when he and the Destruction Mini-Con Team were sent to destroy a satellite dish that could have helped detect [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]. While they succeeded at destroying the dish, Starscream, with Swindle [[Powerlinx]]ed to him, was plowed off to sea by [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]]. {{Storylink|Armada Volume 2}}

===Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic===
[[File:FCBDArmada SwindleRadCarlos.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|right|]]
Swindle was a resident of [[Mini-Con Sector|Mini-Con village C52]]. He was part of the mass effort erecting an [[Energon]] Dome to protect their village before the Decepticons attacked. When Cyclonus burrowed under their defenses and brought down the dome, Swindle was captured and sent to a Decepticon chop shop for mecha-sectioning and re-wiring. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 1|Armada #1}} It was Swindle's bad luck the next day when Starscream chose ''him'' for the attack on [[Cyber City]]. While the Mini-Cons left at the base staged a mass breakout, Swindle was left with the Decepticons for a million long, long years... {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 2|Armada #2}}

When the Mini-Con reactivation signal brought the Decepticons to Earth, Swindle was brought with them, and he powerlinxed to [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] during a battle with the Autobots. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 5|Armada #5}} Some time later, he pretended to have escaped from Starscream in order to gain the trust of humans [[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] and [[Rad White|Rad]]. They promised to bring him to the Autobots for protection, and they successfully evaded a Decepticon attack, but Swindle betrayed them to the Decepticons. Megatron intended to merge humans with Cybertronian technology and create a power source, much as he had the Mini-Cons. Rad was outraged, as they had ''escaped'', but after a million years of slavery, Swindle believed his freedom was the Decepticons' to give. When Megatron subsequently refused to free him as promised, Swindle liberated a group of captured Autobots, who drove the Decepticons off. Swindle briefly believed he had won the freedom he had tried to buy, but Starscream activated a retrieval device, yanking him back into custody. {{storylink|Armada Free Comic Book Day}}

Swindle later escaped the Decepticons again, when he and all other Earthbound Mini-Cons were summoned to a [[Mini-Con Ark|starship]] which took them to the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 8|Armada #8}} Upon arrival at a [[Mini-Con Moonbase|fortress]], they found that they had been brought there by [[Dualor (Armada)|Dualor]]. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 9|Armada #9}} It's not too clear, but Swindle appeared to be among the Mini-Cons who didn't mind this at all. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 10|Armada #10}} Regardless of what he thought, the fortress was destroyed by the Decepticons, and Swindle had to return to Earth in an escape pod. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 11|Armada #11}}

After getting recaptured by the Decepticons at some point, Swindle was allowed to rejoin his fellow Mini-Cons for the joint battle against [[Unicron]]. He took part in the ceremony at the [[Loop]] which badly damaged the Chaos Bringer. {{storylink|The End (Armada)|The End}}

===Cartoon continuity===
====''Armada'' cartoon====
[[File:Jungle-Swindle Powerlinx.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left]]
Swindle was discovered in a forest as the Autobots and Decepticons fought over possession of his storage panel. It was ultimately Starscream who claimed Swindle as his partner, causing the Mini-Con to imprint on the evil Decepticon. Starscream used Swindle's power to prove the strength of his [[Powerlinx]]-activated [[Null-ray|Null Laser Cannons]]. Delirious with power, Starscream continued to use Swindle's enhancement whenever he got the chance, even against holographic battle drones back on the moon. {{storylink|Jungle}} Swindle's partner loved him so much, he even gave him a nickname..."Grid". Surely its a Cybertronian term of endearment of some kind. {{storylink|Carnival}}

During a Mini-Con search in the cramped confines of a city subway system, Swindle and the other Decepticon Mini-Cons were dispatched to comb the catacombs more quickly than their bulk counterparts could manage. {{storylink|Underground (episode)|Underground}} Swindle also aided Starscream on a volcano mission, firing their null beam cannons on the Autobot position. {{storylink|Prehistory}}

[[File:Carnival-Starscream Sensei.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
When Starscream powerlinxed with the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], he used it to capture a large number of Mini-Cons for the Decepticons. Swindle was seen standing among Starscream's prized catches. {{storylink|Conspiracy}}

The Mini-Con [[Downshift (Armada)|Downshift]] surprisingly self-activated on Earth, and the Decepticons were forced to chase him down. Swindle used his race car mode to speed after the similarly moded Downshift, but they ended up racing straight into the Autobots. [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] managed to grab Swindle, but his loyal partner Starscream helped free the Mini-Con from Red Alert's grasp. {{storylink|Reinforcement}} In the next battle, Swindle and Starscream powerlinxed again to unleash their supercharged null beam cannons. {{storylink|Decisive Battle}}

When Starscream briefly joined the Autobots after a falling out with Megatron, Swindle came with him. After failing to destroy Megatron when he had the opportunity, Starscream was furious and lashed out violently at the rock croppings around the Autobot base. Swindle and the [[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Team]] tried to calm him down, but Starscream's wounded pride would not let his anger cool. {{storylink|Mars (episode)|Mars}}

[[File:Swindle-Cramp.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|left]]
Swindle later used his inherent Mini-Con powers to upgrade both himself and Starscream after the latter had been severely damaged by [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]]. He appeared amidst a collection of Mini-Cons who struck down Nemesis Prime with a bolt of energy before transferring some of their power to their partners. Starscream was reborn thanks to Swindle, in a new body resembling [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]. {{storylink|Puppet}}

Their partnership ended in tragedy on Cybertron. In his final stand, Starscream powerlinxed with Swindle and shot a futile blast at [[Unicron]]. Just before being torn apart by Unicron's energy bolts, Starscream broke the link with Swindle, sending him to safety. Swindle lamented his partner's death, while [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] assured him that Starscream's long battle was finally over. {{storylink|Cramp}}

====''Cloud''====
Starscream summoned Swindle to Powerlinx with him in order to defeat his dishonorable counterpart, [[Starscream (Cloud)|Cloud Starscream]]. {{storylink|Hammer (Cloud)|Hammer}}
{{--}}

===Panini ''Armada'' comic===
Despite being augmented by Swindle, Starscream was shot out of the sky by [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] during a battle on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. To punish him for his failure, [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] ripped Swindle off of him and threatened to use the Mini-Con for himself. {{storylink|First Encounter!}}

Many years later, Swindle was brought with the Decepticons to [[Earth]], and was placed in their [[Silver Ridge]] base when he wasn't in use. One day the Autobot-allied Mini-Cons came to save him and the other Mini-Cons held in the base, but they didn't ''want'' to be rescued, and tried to capture their rescuers for the Decepticons instead. Swindle and [[Crumplezone (Armada)|Crumplezone]] ended up being zapped by [[Jolt (Armada)|Jolt]], and the Autobot Mini-Cons got away. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 4|Into the Lions' Den!}} He was later seen standing around with [[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]] and [[Blackout (Armada)|Blackout]] on the Decepticons' new base on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 9|Dawn of Destruction!}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
[[File:Swindle_Mini-con_Kre-O_Character_Image.jpg|upright=0.6|thumb|If you found him in the [[Enter the New Emperor of Destruction!? Stop Galvatron's Rampage!|comic]], you've earned a [[The Transformers Chocolate Flavored Cereal|bowl of cereal]].]]
Spark Grid was seen flying away off [[Starscream (Armada)#Kre-O online comic|Starscream]]'s back when [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] destroyed the Starscream statue in one mighty blast. {{storylink|Enter the New Emperor of Destruction!? Stop Galvatron's Rampage!}}

===Legends World===
The "Powerlinx" Swindle of the [[Legends World]] lived under the clever disguise of a toy, much like the rest of his brethren, and ended up being gifted to [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] by an unwitting, toy-collecting [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. When Swindle overheard from [[Windblade (G1)#Legends comic|Windblade]] that Megatron's obsession was threatening to destroy the universe, he revealed himself to be a living being and imbued Starscream with the power of the Mini-Cons, granting him a super mode strong enough to take on Megatron. {{storylink|LG-18 Armada Starscream Super Mode Prologue}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Armada''===
[[Image:Arm-toy Swindle.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Starscream with Swindle''' (Max-Con Class, 2002)}}</ul>
:*''Takara ID Number'': '''MD-02'''
:*''Takara release date'': [[December 26]], 2002
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro), [[Shogo Hasui]] (Takara)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

: ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' Swindle was available only with the larger Decepticon [[Starscream (Armada)/toys#Armada|Starscream]], transforming into an Indy-style race car. As a Mini-Con, he has a "[[Powerlinx]]" socket on his vehicle-mode underside (which ends up on his robot-mode back) which allows him to attach to any toy with a "Powerlinx" style [[5 mm post]]; some toys have special Powerlinx posts that activate/unlock gimmicks when a Mini-Con is attached.

: He is designed to fit between Starscream's Null Laser Cannons to activate their flip-out action. He can also be clipped on the underside of Starscream's jet-mode cockpit, and deployed by pressing down on Starscream's canopy.

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''Legends of the Microns'' version of "Grid" has merely the tiniest of tone changes to its color, being a smidge more vibrant.

: This mold was [[redeco]]ed to become [[Zapmaster (Armada)#Toys|Zapmaster]] and shares engineering with the mold used by [[Mirage (Armada)#Toys|Mirage]] and [[Top Gear#Toys|Top Gear]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Mini-Con/Swindle/swindle.htm More information on Swindle at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Zapmaster}}
[[Image:Armada-toy_Zapmaster.JPG|upright=1.6|thumb|(''Hasbro Zapmaster shown for now'')]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Starscream Super Mode with Spark Grid''' (Max-Con, [[2003]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''MD-09'''
:*''Release date'': September ??, 2003

: In the Takara ''Legends of the Microns'' line, just as the Hasbro [[Thundercracker (Armada)#Toys|Thundercracker]] deco (with slight alterations) was released as Starscream's powered-up form, so too was the Hasbro [[Zapmaster (Armada)#Toys|Zapmaster]] deco (with slight alterations) released as Swindle's powered-up form, as seen in the ''Armada'' cartoon. "Spark Grid" uses more vivid blue plastics, but is otherwise identical to Zapmaster.

: You can, of course, use your ''Armada'' Zapmaster toy as "Powerlinx Swindle" if you want. Nobody can stop you.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Mini-Con/Zapmaster/zapmaster.htm More information on Spark Grid (actually Zapmaster) at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Built to Rule!''===
[[File:Built To Rule! Swindle.jpg|right|upright=1.45|thumb|The Redmobile]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Starscream with Swindle''' (Brick set, 2003)}}</ul>

: For the Hasbro ''[[Built to Rule!]]'' building block system, Starscream came with a small, building-block-based version of Swindle. This version can be rebuilt from robot mode into something kind of vaguely resembling a race car. Sort of.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Mini-Con/BTRSwindle/swindle.htm More information on ''Built to Rule!'' Swindle at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===''Mega Super Collection Figure''===
[[Image:Swindle-MSCF.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Micro-Mini-Con]]
*'''Starscream''' (MSCF, 2003)

: In Japan, a tiny PVC micro-figurine of Swindle based on his animation model was released with the ''[[Heroes of Cybertron (toyline)|Mega Super Collection Figure]]'' version of ''Armada'' Starscream.

: Like the other Mini-Con PVC micro-figurines in the series, the soft-plastic pegs that keep his arms in place were painted over, and as such are susceptible to snapping off if you try to move the arms, his only points of articulation. Extra-special caution should be taken with these parts.

==Notes==
* The feature where ''Armada'' [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] deploys Swindle from his nosecone is directly inspired by the God Phoenix aircraft from the anime ''{{w|Science Ninja Team Gatchaman}}'', which similarly can [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAqrt9iR1G0&t=93s deploy an F1 racecar].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So now under the nose cone, which is, you know—not even gonna lie—a direct kind of honorific to ''Gatchaman'', you know, where the race car dropped out of the bottom of the Phoenix. So for you old '70s Japanese anime fans out there [...] that is an echo to my childhood love there!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW7bBZgluQQ&t=3058s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=Toy Armada Friday night LIVE: ARMADA STARSCREAM|year=2023|month=06|day=02}}</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Grid''' (グリッド ''Guriddo''), '''Spark Grid''' ("Powerlinx", スパークグリッド ''Supāku Guriddo'')
*''Korean:'' '''Grid''' (그리드 ''Geurideu'')
*''Polish:'' '''Kanciarz''' ("Swindler")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Heshevtnyk''' (Гешевтник, "Businessman", from the German word ''Geschäft'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Armada Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Built to Rule!]]
[[Category:Cloud characters]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Mini-Cons]]

Crumplezone (Armada)

2026-01-22T16:34:44Z

Silverfoil:

{{factions|minicon|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Crumplezone}}
:''Crumplezone is a [[Decepticon]]-allied [[Mini-Con]] from the [[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]] portion of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family]].''

[[Image:Panini crumplezone profile.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Some bigger guy]] stole my name.]]
'''Crumplezone''' was once a very bored Mini-Con who thought he would never find his goal in life. Then one day, he became the partner of [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]], the craziest nut on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and it suddenly became clear to him what he really wanted out of life: thrill-seeking! Crumplezone is much happier now, as there's no greater thrill than being attached to Cyclonus as he randomly spins and loops his way through enemy fire.

{{bigquote|Just enjoy the ride.|Crumplezone's [[bio]] quote.}}

==Fiction==
===Toy pack-in comics===
[[File:Armada V1 Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Just the tip.]]
Crumplezone and Cyclonus attached an energy-draining device at a human power station. [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] attempted to intercede, but the Decepticon duo initiated a combination fusion, turning their super-cannon on the hapless Autobot. Lucky for Hot Shot, his partner [[Jolt (Armada)|Jolt]] arrived to lend a servo. Hot Shot managed to elude Crumplezone and his partner by allowing them to be caught in the detonation of their energy-draining device. {{storylink|Armada Volume 1}}

===Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic===
[[File:DWArmada2 CyclonusCrumplezoneSmokescreen.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|WHY YOU LITTLE-!]]
Crumplezone lived in [[Mini-Con Sector|Mini-Con village C52]] until the [[Decepticon]]s made their move, ransacking the village and kidnapping him and the other inhabitants. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 1|Armada #1}} He was assigned to partner with Cyclonus, and taken along for the [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]'s attack on [[Cyber City]]. Sadly, this meant he missed the other Mini-Cons' breakout, and had to remain with the Decepticons for several million years. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 2|Armada #2}}

Eventually, Megatron located the escaped Mini-Cons, and Crumplezone came with the Decepticons to [[Earth]]. After arriving, he powerlinxed with Megatron during a clash with the [[Autobot]]s. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 5|Armada #5}} A short time later, Crumplezone and all other Mini-Cons on the planet detected a beacon from a [[Mini-Con Ark|strange monolith]] and were compelled to gather around it. As it turned out, the monolith was a starship which took the Mini-Cons to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] as soon as they entered it. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 8|Armada #8}} There, they found that [[Dualor (Armada)|Dualor]] and his [[Destruction Mini-Con Team|Destruction Team]] had been constructing a [[Mini-Con Moonbase|fortress]] where the Mini-Cons could live in peace. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 9|Armada #9}} Crumplezone didn't think it was particularly homely, though, and joined several other Mini-Cons who wanted to leave. His wish was soon granted, in a fashion, when Megatron busted into the base and recaptured "his" Mini-Cons. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 10|Armada #10}}

Crumplezone was eventually released by the Decepticons so that he could channel his energy through the [[Mini-Con Matrix]] during the battle against [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|The End (Armada)|The End}}

===''Armada'' cartoon===
[[File:Desperate demolishor and minicons.jpg|200px|thumb]]
Crumplezone was one of the first Mini-Cons recovered on Earth by the Decepticons. When [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] accidentally triggered a landslide with his [[fusion cannon]], several storage panels were uncovered in the fallout. The Autobots managed to [[powerlinx]] with two, but then Cyclonus swooped in and claimed two more for the Decepticons before warping out. For his success, Megatron allowed Cyclonus to keep the newly activated Crumplezone as his personal Mini-Con. {{storylink|Base}}

During a Mini-Con search in the cramped confines of a city subway system, Crumplezone and the other Decepticon Mini-Cons were dispatched to comb the catacombs more quickly than their bulk counterparts could manage. {{storylink|Underground (episode)|Underground}} Crumplezone and Blackout later powerlinxed with Cyclonus while he was searching for the Autobots base. {{storylink|Swoop (episode)|Swoop}}

In their first battle alongside [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] assembled the Decepticons' military Mini-Cons (Crumplezone, [[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]], [[Blackout (Armada)|Blackout]] and [[Inferno (Armada)|Inferno]]) into a ground warfare squad to confront the enemy. As he led them into combat, the Mini-Cons kept the Autobots busy on the ground while Tidal Wave and [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] dealt with the aerial [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Jet Optimus]]. {{storylink|Desperate}}

===Panini ''Armada'' comic===
[[File:IntoTheLionsDen JoltElectricShock.jpg|thumb|left|180px]]
As Crumplezone was hanging out with his Mini-Con buddies at the Decepticon base, [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], [[Jolt (Armada)|Jolt]], and [[Longarm (Armada)|Longarm]] suddenly broke in and offered to save them from the Decepticons. They had no desire to be saved, however, and would rather have captured the Autobot Mini-Cons for their Decepticon masters. Crumplezone explained that he had no complaints with being on the "winning team", but before he and [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] could grab Jolt, they were stunned by his ability to create electric shocks. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 4|Into the Lions' Den!}} Later, Crumplezone was power-linked to Cyclonus when he battled [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 6|Between Two Worlds!}} He was also linked with Cyclonus when the [[Destruction Mini-Con Team]] took control of his body and forced him to fight with Megatron. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 9|Dawn of Destruction!}}

===Reader's Digest ''Armada'' novels===
During a Decepticon attack on the Autobots' base, one of Megatron's stray shots caused a rock slide. This rock slide unearthed four Mini-Con panels, one of which contained the Mini-Con that would come to be known as "Crumplezone." Cyclonus snatched it and another panel out of the grasp of the humans Rad and Alexis as the Decepticons retreated from the battlefield. Back at the Decepticons' base on the Moon, Megatron rewarded Cyclonus by allowing him to keep one of the dormant Mini-Cons for himself. Cyclonus activated the panel, causing the robot within to bond with him mentally. Cyclonus then named his Mini-Con, and vowed to use his power to defeat the Autobots. {{storylink|Transformers Armada: Race for the Mini-Con Robots|Race for the Mini-Con Robots}}

==Games==
===''Transformers'' (PS2)===
Crumplezone was powerlinxed with Cyclonus when he confronted the Autobots atop a temple in the Deep Amazon. Upon his defeat, Cyclonus spiraled out of control and crashed into the temple with Crumplezone still attached. {{storylink|Transformers (Armada PS2)|Transformers}}

==Toys==
===''Armada''===
[[Image:Armadatoy Crumplezone.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|Hmm, is this guy pals with [[Ransack (Armada)|Ransack]]? ''(Hasbro version pictured)'']]
[[File:LOTM Cannon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''(Takara version pictured)'']]
*'''Cyclonus with Crumplezone''' (Super-Con, 2002/2003)
**''Takara ID number:'' '''MD-04'''
**''Takara release date'': [[December 26]], 2002
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro), [[Yuichiro Hira]] (Takara)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

: Released as part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' toys, Crumplezone was only available in a Super-Con (aka "Deluxe") set with his larger partner [[Cyclonus (Armada)#Toys|Cyclonus]]. Crumplezone transforms into a tank of entirely made-up model, with a rotating turret. As a Mini-Con, he has a [[Powerlinx]] socket that allows him to attach to larger toys through dedicated Mini-Con hardpoints.

: He also has a third configuration, turning into a long-nosed "cockpit" with under-slung cannon that can attach to the front end of Cyclonus (once you raise his normal canopy up). Combined in this way, Cyclonus's rotor [[gimmick]] also makes Crumplezone's gun-barrel wave back and forth, as well as making Cyclonus's vehicle mode look so much cooler.

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] version of the toy is for the most part the same, only it uses slightly brighter shades of the same plastic colors, especially the white. He was also slightly [[retool]]ed; his legs are attached to his waist-piece by a bolt rather than with ball-and-socket joints.

: This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Galaxy Force]]'' [[Heavy Barrel (Cybertron)#Toys|Trigger]]. This toy was also [[repurposing|repurposed]] as ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' [[Cannon (BWU)|Cannon]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Mini-Con/Crumplezone/crumplezone.htm More information on Crumplezone at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|J-MiniPack}}
*'''Sandstorm & Destruction Micron''' (Multi-pack, 2003)
**''ID number:'' '''MS-04'''
**''Takara release date'': [[December 26]], 2002

: Takara's "Sandstorm" (with "Cannon") was sold both as an individual and in a multi-pack with the [[Destruction Mini-Con Team#Toys|Destruction Mini-Con Team]], whose gear-gimmicks were designed to function with Cyclonus's gearing system. All of the toys in the set are identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|Powerlinx}}
[[Image:Arm-crumplezone px.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Well, he must be.]]
*'''Powerlinx Cyclonus with Powerlinx Crumplezone''' (Super-Con, 2003)
**''Takara release date'': [[September 27]], 2003

: [[Redeco]]ed along with his [[Cyclonus (Armada)#Powerlinx|larger partner]], Crumplezone got a new green and brown color scheme in this late addition to the ''Armada'' series. He still uses the ball-and-socket leg connections from the original Hasbro release.

: This toy was not released as part of the normal ''Legends of the Microns'' series in Japan, but was straight-imported as a [[USA Edition]] exclusive to [[LaOX]] stores.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Mini-Con/PXCrumplezone/crumplezone.htm More information on Powerlinx Crumplezone at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Built to Rule!''===
*'''Megatron with Leader-1 and Cyclonus with Crumplezone''' (Built to Rule!, 2003)

: A building-brick figure that kinda sorta vaguely not really turns from robot to tank, ''[[Built to Rule!]]'' Crumplezone was only available in the largest set in the series with [[Cyclonus (Armada)#BTR|Cyclonus]], as well as [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Built to Rule!|Megatron]] with [[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Mini-Con/BTRCrumplezone/crumplezone.htm More information on ''Built to Rule!'' Crumplezone at TFU.info]''

{{picsneeded}}

{{-}}
===''Energon''===
[[Image:En-toy Crumplezone.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Wondering where the Death Helicopter is.]]
*'''Cyclonus with Crumplezone''' (Deluxe, 2004)
**''Takara ID number:'' '''SD-03'''
**''Takara release date'': [[December 25]], 2003

: Redecoed once again, this time for the ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' series, Crumplezone gained a black, light gray, and lavender coloration.

: While this set was a normal retail release as part of the Takara ''Super Link'' line, sold in its very first wave of product, it was held back for a fair bit in ''Energon'', eventually seeing release as a [[KB Toys]] [[exclusive]]. Both versions use the "bolt" leg-connection tooling this time.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Mini-Con/Crumplezone/crumplezone.htm More information on ''Energon'' Crumplezone at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cannon''' (キャノン ''Kyanon'')
*''Korean:'' '''Cannon''' (캐논 ''Kaenon'')
*''Polish:'' '''Zgniatacz''' (Star Foods Chips ''Crusher'')

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Armada Crumplezone character model.jpg|''Armada'' cartoon robot mode
File:Armada Crumplezone vehicle model.jpg|''Armada'' cartoon vehicle mode
</gallery>

[[Category:Armada Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Energon Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Built to Rule!]]
[[Category:KB Toys exclusives]]

Crumplezone (Armada)

2026-01-22T16:34:14Z

Silverfoil:

{{factions|minicon|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Crumplezone}}
:''Crumplezone is a [[Decepticon]]-allied [[Mini-Con]] from the [[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]] portion of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family]].''

[[Image:Panini crumplezone profile.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Some bigger guy]] stole my name.]]
'''Crumplezone''' was once a very bored Mini-Con who thought he would never find his goal in life. Then one day, he became the partner of [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]], the craziest nut on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and it suddenly became clear to him what he really wanted out of life: thrill-seeking! Crumplezone is much happier now, as there's no greater thrill than being attached to Cyclonus as he randomly spins and loops his way through enemy fire.

{{bigquote|Just enjoy the ride.|Crumplezone's [[bio]] quote.}}

==Fiction==
===Toy pack-in comics===
[[File:Armada V1 Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Just the tip.]]
Crumplezone and Cyclonus attached an energy-draining device at a human power station. [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] attempted to intercede, but the Decepticon duo initiated a combination fusion, turning their super-cannon on the hapless Autobot. Lucky for Hot Shot, his partner [[Jolt (Armada)|Jolt]] arrived to lend a servo. Hot Shot managed to elude Crumplezone and his partner by allowing them to be caught in the detonation of their energy-draining device. {{storylink|Armada Volume 1}}

===Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic===
[[File:DWArmada2 CyclonusCrumplezoneSmokescreen.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|WHY YOU LITTLE-!]]
Crumplezone lived in [[Mini-Con Sector|Mini-Con village C52]] until the [[Decepticon]]s made their move, ransacking the village and kidnapping him and the other inhabitants. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 1|Armada #1}} He was assigned to partner with Cyclonus, and taken along for the [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]'s attack on [[Cyber City]]. Sadly, this meant he missed the other Mini-Cons' breakout, and had to remain with the Decepticons for several million years. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 2|Armada #2}}

Eventually, Megatron located the escaped Mini-Cons, and Crumplezone came with the Decepticons to [[Earth]]. After arriving, he powerlinxed with Megatron during a clash with the [[Autobot]]s. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 5|Armada #5}} A short time later, Crumplezone and all other Mini-Cons on the planet detected a beacon from a [[Mini-Con Ark|strange monolith]] and were compelled to gather around it. As it turned out, the monolith was a starship which took the Mini-Cons to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] as soon as they entered it. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 8|Armada #8}} There, they found that [[Dualor (Armada)|Dualor]] and his [[Destruction Mini-Con Team|Destruction Team]] had been constructing a [[Mini-Con Moonbase|fortress]] where the Mini-Cons could live in peace. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 9|Armada #9}} Crumplezone didn't think it was particularly homely, though, and joined several other Mini-Cons who wanted to leave. His wish was soon granted, in a fashion, when Megatron busted into the base and recaptured "his" Mini-Cons. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 10|Armada #10}}

Crumplezone was eventually released by the Decepticons so that he could channel his energy through the [[Mini-Con Matrix]] during the battle against [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|The End (Armada)|The End}}

===''Armada'' cartoon===
[[File:Desperate demolishor and minicons.jpg|200px|thumb]]
Crumplezone was one of the first Mini-Cons recovered on Earth by the Decepticons. When [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] accidentally triggered a landslide with his [[fusion cannon]], several storage panels were uncovered in the fallout. The Autobots managed to [[powerlinx]] with two, but then Cyclonus swooped in and claimed two more for the Decepticons before warping out. For his success, Megatron allowed Cyclonus to keep the newly activated Crumplezone as his personal Mini-Con. {{storylink|Base}}

During a Mini-Con search in the cramped confines of a city subway system, Crumplezone and the other Decepticon Mini-Cons were dispatched to comb the catacombs more quickly than their bulk counterparts could manage. {{storylink|Underground (episode)|Underground}} Crumplezone and Blackout later powerlinxed with Cyclonus while he was searching for the Autobots base. {{storylink|Swoop (episode)|Swoop}}

In their first battle alongside [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] assembled the Decepticons' military Mini-Cons (Crumplezone, [[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]], [[Blackout (Armada)|Blackout]] and [[Inferno (Armada)|Inferno]]) into a ground warfare squad to confront the enemy. As he led them into combat, the Mini-Cons kept the Autobots busy on the ground while Tidal Wave and [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] dealt with the aerial [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Jet Optimus]]. {{storylink|Desperate}}

===Panini ''Armada'' comic===
[[File:IntoTheLionsDen JoltElectricShock.jpg|thumb|left|180px]]
As Crumplezone was hanging out with his Mini-Con buddies at the Decepticon base, [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], [[Jolt (Armada)|Jolt]], and [[Longarm (Armada)|Longarm]] suddenly broke in and offered to save them from the Decepticons. They had no desire to be saved, however, and would rather have captured the Autobot Mini-Cons for their Decepticon masters. Crumplezone explained that he had no complaints with being on the "winning team", but before he and [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] could grab Jolt, they were stunned by his ability to create electric shocks. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 4|Into the Lions' Den!}} Later, Crumplezone was power-linked to Cyclonus when he battled [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 6|Between Two Worlds!}} He was also linked with Cyclonus when the [[Destruction Mini-Con Team]] took control of his body and forced him to fight with Megatron. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 9|Dawn of Destruction!}}

===Reader's Digest ''Armada'' novels===
During a Decepticon attack on the Autobots' base, one of Megatron's stray shots caused a rock slide. This rock slide unearthed four Mini-Con panels, one of which contained the Mini-Con that would come to be known as "Crumplezone." Cyclonus snatched it and another panel out of the grasp of the humans Rad and Alexis as the Decepticons retreated from the battlefield. Back at the Decepticons' base on the Moon, Megatron rewarded Cyclonus by allowing him to keep one of the dormant Mini-Cons for himself. Cyclonus activated the panel, causing the robot within to bond with him mentally. Cyclonus then named his Mini-Con, and vowed to use his power to defeat the Autobots. {{storylink|Transformers Armada: Race for the Mini-Con Robots|Race for the Mini-Con Robots}}

==Games==
===''Transformers'' (PS2)===
Crumplezone was powerlinxed with Cyclonus when he confronted the Autobots atop a temple in the Deep Amazon. Upon his defeat, Cyclonus spiraled out of control and crashed into the temple with Crumplezone still attached. {{storylink|Transformers (Armada PS2)|Transformers}}

==Toys==
===''Armada''===
[[Image:Armadatoy Crumplezone.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|Hmm, is this guy pals with [[Ransack (Armada)|Ransack]]? ''(Hasbro version pictured)'']]
[[File:LOTM Cannon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''(Takara version pictured)'']]
*'''Cyclonus with Crumplezone''' (Super-Con, 2002/2003)
**''Takara ID number:'' '''MD-04'''
**''Takara release date'': [[December 26]], 2002
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro), [[Yuichiro Hira]] (Takara)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

: Released as part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' toys, Crumplezone was only available in a Super-Con (aka "Deluxe") set with his larger partner [[Cyclonus (Armada)#Toys|Cyclonus]]. Crumplezone transforms into a tank of entirely made-up model, with a rotating turret. As a Mini-Con, he has a [[Powerlinx]] socket that allows him to attach to larger toys through dedicated Mini-Con hardpoints.

: He also has a third configuration, turning into a long-nosed "cockpit" with under-slung cannon that can attach to the front end of Cyclonus (once you raise his normal canopy up). Combined in this way, Cyclonus's rotor [[gimmick]] also makes Crumplezone's gun-barrel wave back and forth, as well as making Cyclonus's vehicle mode look so much cooler.

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] version of the toy is for the most part the same, only it uses slightly brighter shades of the same plastic colors, especially the white. He was also slightly [[retool]]ed; his legs are attached to his waist-piece by a bolt rather than with ball-and-socket joints.

: This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Galaxy Force]]'' [[Heavy Barrel (Cybertron)#Toys|Trigger]]. This toy was also [[repurposing|repurposed]] as ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' [[Cannon (BWU)|Cannon]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Mini-Con/Crumplezone/crumplezone.htm More information on Crumplezone at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|J-MiniPack}}
*'''Sandstorm & Destruction Micron''' (Multi-pack, 2003)
**''ID number:'' '''MS-04'''
**''Takara release date'': [[December 26]], 2002

: Takara's "Sandstorm" (with "Cannon") was sold both as an individual and in a multi-pack with the [[Destruction Mini-Con Team#Toys|Destruction Mini-Con Team]], whose gear-gimmicks were designed to function with Cyclonus's gearing system. All of the toys in the set are identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|Powerlinx}}
[[Image:Arm-crumplezone px.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Well, he must be.]]
*'''Powerlinx Cyclonus with Powerlinx Crumplezone''' (Super-Con, 2003)
**''Takara release date'': [[September 27]], 2003

: [[Redeco]]ed along with his [[Cyclonus (Armada)#Powerlinx|larger partner]], Crumplezone got a new green and brown color scheme in this late addition to the ''Armada'' series. He still uses the ball-and-socket leg connections from the original Hasbro release.

: This toy was not released as part of the normal ''Legends of the Microns'' series in Japan, but was straight-imported as a [[USA Edition]] exclusive to [[LaOX]] stores.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Mini-Con/PXCrumplezone/crumplezone.htm More information on Powerlinx Crumplezone at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Built to Rule!''===
*'''Megatron with Leader-1 and Cyclonus with Crumplezone''' (Built to Rule!, 2003)

: A building-brick figure that kinda sorta vaguely not really turns from robot to tank, ''[[Built to Rule!]]'' Crumplezone was only available in the largest set in the series with [[Cyclonus (Armada)#BTR|Cyclonus]], as well as [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Built to Rule!|Megatron]] with [[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Mini-Con/BTRCrumplezone/crumplezone.htm More information on ''Built to Rule!'' Crumplezone at TFU.info]''

{{picsneeded}}

{{-}}
===''Energon''===
[[Image:En-toy Crumplezone.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Wondering where the Death Helicopter is.]]
*'''Cyclonus with Crumplezone''' (Deluxe, 2004)
**''Takara ID number:'' '''SD-03'''
**''Takara release date'': [[December 25]], 2003

: Redecoed once again, this time for the ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' series, Crumplezone gained a black, light gray, and lavender coloration.

: While this set was a normal retail release as part of the Takara ''Super Link'' line, sold in its very first wave of product, it was held back for a fair bit in ''Energon'', eventually seeing release as a [[KB Toys]] [[exclusive]]. Both versions use the "bolt" leg-connection tooling this time.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Mini-Con/Crumplezone/crumplezone.htm More information on ''Energon'' Crumplezone at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cannon''' (キャノン ''Kyanon'')
*''Korean:'' '''Cannon''' (캐논 ''Kaenon'')
*''Polish:'' '''Zgniatacz''' (Star Foods Chips''Crusher'')

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Armada Crumplezone character model.jpg|''Armada'' cartoon robot mode
File:Armada Crumplezone vehicle model.jpg|''Armada'' cartoon vehicle mode
</gallery>

[[Category:Armada Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Energon Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Built to Rule!]]
[[Category:KB Toys exclusives]]

Jolt (Armada)

2026-01-22T16:33:39Z

Silverfoil:

{{factions|minicon|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Jolt}}

:''Jolt is an [[Autobot]]-allied [[Mini-Con]] from the [[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]] portion of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family]].''

[[File:Jolt ut.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Windmills do not work that way!]]
'''Jolt''' is [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]]'s [[Mini-Con]] partner. He's kind of a geek who tries to hammer in the concepts of teamwork and maturity into the young Autobot. In the moments where Hot Shot has managed to be selfless in his act, especially on the battlefield, Jolt has become more than willing to put up with his attitude a good majority of the time. [[Powerlinx]]ed to his partner, Jolt can grant Hot Shot temporary flight with his turbo boosters. These boosters also come in handy when Jolt branches out on his own, granting him incredible speed that makes him one of the more fast Mini-Cons.

He is occasionally partnered to the Autobot [[Smokescreen (Cybertron)|Smokescreen]].

{{bigquote|There's no 'I' in 'team'.|Jolt's [[bio]] quote}}

==Fiction==
===Toy pack-in comics===
An eager Jolt was assigned by [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] to work with Hot Shot, but the brash hero felt he didn't need a partner. Jolt followed him into battle anyway, and helped Hot Shot out of a pickle with Cyclonus and [[Crumplezone (Armada)|Crumplezone]]. Realizing the value of friendship and teamwork, Hot Shot accepted Jolt as his partner from then on. {{storylink|Armada Volume 1}}

Optimus Prime later contacted Jolt from [[Autobot Headquarters (Armada)|Autobot Headquarters]]. {{Storylink|Armada Volume 2}}

===Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic===
[[File:DWArmada5 JoltLiftorLongarm.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|Careful, Liftor! Jolt is sensitive back there!]]
Prior to the war, Jolt used to live in [[Mini-Con Sector|Mini-Con Village C52]]. He helped prepare the [[Filtrek|forceshields]] for when the [[Decepticon]]s would inevitably reach their village, and got nervous listening to [[Longarm (Armada)|Longarm]]'s stories about [[Mecha-sectioning|what would happen to them]] if they were captured. Then the Decepticons got past the forceshield and captured them. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 1|Armada #1}} Thanks to [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] and the [[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Team]], Jolt and the others were rescued from the [[Decepticon Headquarters (Armada)|Decepticon base]] and left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in search of a place to live in peace. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 2|Armada #2}} Unfortunately, [[Exodus (Armada)|their starship]] malfunctioned and crashed on [[Earth]], where the Mini-Cons lay dormant for a million years. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 3|Armada #3}} {{storylink|Armada Free Comic Book Day}}

Jolt took refuge in a [[human]] junkyard alongside several other Mini-Cons, where he had his injuries from the crash treated by [[Liftor]]. After a misadventure where they had to save [[Rollbar (Armada)|Rollbar]] from a trash compactor, they learned that the Decepticons had followed them to Earth and were hunting down Sparkplug. Ignoring the danger, Jolt was the first to rush out and try to save him, and the others soon followed. When they arrived at the scene, the [[Autobot]]s were fighting with the Decepticons, so the Mini-Cons chose to help the [[Bulk]]s out by [[Powerlinx]]ing with them. Jolt picked [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] as his partner and chased the Decepticons away, then agreed to join the Autobots. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 5|Armada #5}} Later, Jolt and Longarm joined Sparkplug in an attempt to sneak into the Decepticons' base and rescue the Air Defense Team. The plan went awry when [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] found them sneaking about, and Jolt attacked him to little effect. He was punched out of the air by the Decepticon, who proceeded to accidentally bring the ceiling down on everyone. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 6|Armada #6}} The three Mini-Cons spent some time trapped under rubble, but were eventually saved by the [[Land Military Mini-Con Team|Land Military Team]]. They then returned to the Autobot base to help the Autobots defend it from [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], who had combined the Air Defense Team into the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 7|Armada #7}}

[[File:DWArmada13 JoltPowerLink.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|right|Careful, Jolt! Hot Shot is sensitive back there!]]
Like all the other Mini-Cons on Earth (except Liftor and Rollbar), Jolt was summoned to the [[Mini-Con Ark]] and taken to Earth's [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 8|Armada #8}} They were imprisoned on a [[Mini-Con Moonbase|moonbase]], where Jolt examined some technology and figured out that it wasn't a human structure. The mystery was quickly revealed when their fellow Mini-Con [[Dualor (Armada)|Dualor]] showed up and explained that he had brought them all to the moonbase in order for all Mini-Cons to live in peace. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 9|Armada #9}} Like Sparkplug, Jolt was not happy with how they had been forcibly summoned to the station and put behind bars for no real reason. He almost came to blows with [[Knock Out (Armada)|Knock Out]], who had nothing against the moonbase, but [[Wreckage (Armada)|Wreckage]] broke them up. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 10|Armada #10}}

In the end, the moonbase was destroyed by the Decepticons and its residents fled to the Autobot base on Earth. Most of them didn't want join the Autobots, though, and Jolt watched as [[Rook (Armada)|Rook]] held a speech to them about Mini-Con independence. {{storylink|Fire & Ice}} A short while later, Jolt participated in a mission to rescue some dormant Mini-Cons in [[Alaska]]. He located [[Dune Runner (Armada)|Dune Runner]] and [[Ransack (Armada)|Ransack]], who had been defeated by the Decepticons during an earlier rescue attempt, then Powerlinxed with Hot Shot for the battle with [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 13|Armada #13}} Later, he was part of a team who investigated odd interdimensional activity in [[Big Sur National Park]] following the mysterious disappearance of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 1 of 4}} When the Decepticons learned of Prime's disappearance and attacked confused and weakened Autobots, Jolt and Hot Shot were easily dispatched by Megatron. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 2 of 4}}

Like all other Mini-Cons, Jolt returned to Cybertron to defend it from the approaching [[Unicron]]. Presumably, he was among the Mini-Cons at the [[Loop]] who gave their energy to the [[Mini-Con Matrix]], allowing [[Over-Run (Armada)|Over-Run]] to critically damage Unicron. {{storylink|The End (Armada)|The End}}

===''Armada'' cartoon===
[[File:Basebump.jpg|thumb|left]]
Shortly after the Autobots arrived on Earth to heed the Mini-Con signal, a cave opening was uncovered during a battle, exposing several Mini-Con storage panels. Jolt was retrieved from this cave, and Powerlinxed with his new partner, [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]]. {{storylink|Base}}

After Hot Shot got tired playing "Tag" with the kids at the Autobot base, he called in Jolt to tag the little trouble-makers for him. On their next mission, the Autobots traveled to Antarctica in search of another Mini-Con. Hot Shot was growing impatient with Red Alert's slow and measured approach to the search and wanted to take off with Carlos before the rest of the team was ready. Jolt Powerlinxed with his rash partner in order to increase his driving ability on the snow and ice...and to keep Hot Shot out of trouble. Their search eventually turned up a Mini-Con buried in the wall of an ice canyon, but [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] arrived around the same time. Hot Shot fell into a deep gorge, but Jolt's rotors provided enough lift to keep him from smashing on the ice below. As the skirmish continued, Hot Shot was forced to eject Carlos so that he could concentrate on Starscream. As Carlos fell into a nearby canyon, Jolt detached and flew down to catch Carlos on his skis and carry him to safety. He then reunited with Hot Shot to boost his firepower for the fight. {{storylink|Soldier (episode)|Soldier}} On another mission, Jolt provided aerial reconnaissance in the forest for Hot Shot and the others, as they tracked down a Mini-Con panel atop a tall tree. {{storylink|Jungle}}

[[File:Carnival-Catching the Catchers.jpg|thumb|right|GET TO DA....very small chopper?]]
When [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] saw the kids and Street Action Team running off to play at the carnival, he roped Jolt and Longarm into joining him in tagging along. They were a big hit among the carnival goers, who thought they were just another attraction. They even got to march in the parade! [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] and [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] got suspicious, though, and started to chase the Mini-Cons through the fair. Jolt finally had enough and transformed, scooping them up in helicopter mode and depositing the nosy twosome atop a giant balloon. {{storylink|Carnival}}

[[File:Carnival-Minicon March.jpg|thumb|left]]
On a mission in the desert, [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] pinned the Autobots down behind an open sand dune. Hot Shot and Jolt Powerlinxed to try and return fire, but they were unable to pop out behind their cover quickly enough to get the drop on their Decepticon attacker. {{storylink|Palace}}

After [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] kidnapped Billy and Fred, the Autobots were reluctantly prepared to turn over Jolt and the other Mini-Cons to Megatron. When the Decepticons broke the deal, however, the Autobots managed to recover both the kids and the Mini-Cons. {{storylink|Confrontation (episode)|Confrontation}}

During an underwater mission, Jolt's Powerlinxed propellers were used by Hot Shot in lieu of the aqua-thrusters employed by the rest of the team. {{storylink|Ruin}} When the Autobots fought for control of a Mini-Con at an abandoned volcano resort, Jolt teamed up with his fellow Mini-Cons in carrying the fight to the Decepticons, using Prime's combat deck to fight for their freedom. {{storylink|Prehistory}}

After Hot Shot acquired the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], he still relied on his old partner Jolt for the occasional helping hand. While searching for a Mini-Con near the big city, the Autobots were caught in a traffic jam created by Cyclonus. Hot Shot Powerlinxed with Jolt to use his rotors and fly over the blockade. Later on, while in a running battle with [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]], Jolt gave Hot Shot the necessary lift to fly behind the mercenary and get the drop on him. {{storylink|Gale}}

[[File:Conspiracy JoltRepairsHotShot.jpg|thumb]]
Jolt was present when Hot Shot returned from a trap on the moon, having lost the Star Saber to the Decepticons. {{storylink|Credulous}} This turn of events hit the Autobots hard, and Jolt later gave Hot Shot some much needed repair work after a series of losses to the Decepticons thanks to the Star Saber. {{storylink|Conspiracy}}

During the hunt for [[Downshift (Armada)|Downshift]], Jolt Powerlinxed with Hot Shot to give him enough boost to clear a ravine blasted by the Decepticons. {{storylink|Reinforcement}} Later, he and the Street Action Team helped create a miniature obstacle course from Hot Shot and [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] to train on. Jolt went into battle with Hot Shot when the Autobots were forced to confront Megatron after he gained both the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] and the [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom Shield]]. Unfortunately, the "axel-zooka" was totally ineffective against the Skyboom Shield. {{storylink|Decisive Battle}}

Jolt appeared in the battle footage [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] reviewed at base after joining the Autobots. {{storylink|Detection}}

After [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] arrived in the midst of a firefight and began raining cannonball laser storms down on the Autobots, Hot Shot and Blurr took to the waves to strike at the Decepticon aircraft carrier from below. Jolt and [[Incinerator (Armada)|Incinerator]] provided their partners with the proper boost to make it into the water and then unload their firepower at Tidal Wave's unprotected underbelly. {{storylink|Awakening (Armada)|Awakening}}

Jolt was present at the team meeting when the Autobots decided what to do with the Mini-Cons who formed the [[Requiem Blaster (Armada)|Requiem Blaster]]. {{storylink|Runaway}}

[[File:Remorse JoltSupportsHotShot.jpg|thumb|left]]
After [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen]] was critically damaged, Jolt partnered with Hot Shot to run out and avenge him when they saw Starscream on the video monitor. As it turned out, the former Decepticon had quit his partners and was on the run from [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]]. Starscream came back to the Autobot headquarters and joined them in order to seek his revenge on Megatron for past slights. Despite this, Hot Shot still wished to duel Starscream. Jolt and [[Runway (Armada)|Runway]] of the Air Defense Team caught them brawling and ran off to inform Optimus of the situation. {{storylink|Regeneration (Armada)|Regeneration}} Jolt appeared briefly during the Autobots' raid on the Decepticon moon base, separating from Hot Shot to give him use of Jolt's engine / pulse cannon. {{storylink|Rescue}}

After the death of Optimus Prime, Hot Shot was becoming more and more difficult with his fellow soldiers due to his grief. Finally, [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] couldn't stand any more and warped to a secluded location to teach him a lesson. The loyal Jolt jumped into the warp field to go along with his partner, and provided what little aid he could against Scavenger's impromptu tough love seminar. Ultimately, though, Jolt sided with his fellow Mini-Cons in confronting Hot Shot, forcing him to stop taking his guilt out on himself and the others. {{storylink|Remorse}}
Jolt and the Mini-Cons all chose to willingly follow the Autobots into space aboard the ''[[Axalon (Armada)|Axalon]]'', fighting alongside them against the Decepticons. {{storylink|Depart}}

Sometime later, Jolt magically appeared over a nameless planet where the Autobots and Decepticons were fighting with [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]]. He and several other Mini-Cons used their combined power to repair the damage the Cybertronians had suffered before vanishing as quickly as they came. {{storylink|Puppet}}

===Panini ''Armada'' comic===
[[File:IntoTheLionsDen JoltElectricShock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right|Oh, "Jolt". ''Nowwwww'' we get it.]]
Back on Cybertron, Jolt was among the Mini-Cons who fled for their lives when the Decepticons began capturing their race. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 9|Counter-Strike!}} After escaping from his home planet, he and several other Mini-Cons ended up near [[Lincoln (city)|Lincoln]], [[Nebraska]] when their ship crashed on [[Earth]]. After awakening, they met [[Rad White]], [[Carlos Lopez]], and [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]], but refused to get involved with the [[Autobot]]-[[Decepticon]] war again. {{storylink|First Encounter!}} After Rad showed some amazing courage by confronting [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] alone, the Mini-Cons changed their minds and entered the fray to save the human. Jolt attacked Megatron with his electric stun beam, then power-linked with the newly arrived [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], allowing the Autobot to take flight and defeat [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Friends and Foes!}}

The Autobots soon decided that the best way to keep Jolt and the other Mini-Cons safe from the Decepticons was to send them back to Cybertron. However, the Mini-Cons refused, as they preferred stay and fight alongside the Autobots. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 4|No Way Back!}} Some time later, Jolt, [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] and [[Longarm (Armada)|Longarm]] infiltrated the Decepticon base in [[Silver Ridge]], intending to free the Decepticon-owned Mini-Cons. Jolt complained about it all the time, repeatedly pointing out how risky their little adventure was. When they eventually found their fellow Mini-Cons, they turned out to have no intention of escaping, but instead captured the Autobot-allied Mini-Cons for the Decepticons. Jolt defended the group by zapping [[Crumplezone (Armada)|Crumplezone]] and [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] with electricity, allowing Longarm to save Sparkplug from [[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]]'s grasp. After escaping, the three discussed if the Decepticon Mini-Cons were corrupted somehow, but Jolt had a feeling they had always been huge jerks who deserved to be with the Decepticons. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 4|Into the Lions' Den!}}

Jolt later helped helped send a probe to the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] to activate any leftover Mini-Cons on the satellite. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 6|Between Two Worlds!}} After pretending to give themselves up to the Decepticons, Jolt and the other Mini-Cons ended up imprisoned on a [[solar barge]] on the way to the Decepticon base on the Moon. They easily broke out, and Jolt helped out by using electrifying darts to take out Cyclonus, who was pulling the barge. He then saved Sparkplug, who had fallen into the void of space, and the Mini-Cons all returned to Earth safely. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 8|Lost in Space!}}

===''The Balance of Power''===
Jolt was one of the Mini-Cons listed in the Autobots' registry. His picture was shown to [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] when [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] explained to the young Autobot what the Mini-Cons were, and their importance in the battle against the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Balance of Power}}
{{note|This comic was written as a tie-in to the [[Transformers (Armada PS2)|''Armada'' video game]], but its details differ from the introduction seen in the game itself. [[#PS2|See below]] for Jolt's role in the game.}}

===Reader's Digest ''Armada'' novels===
During a Decepticon attack on the Autobots' base, one of Megatron's stray shots caused a rock slide. This rock slide unearthed four Mini-Con panels, one of which contained the Mini-Con that would come to be known as "Jolt." Hot Shot was the first to make contact with the panel containing this Mini-Con, and the robot within transformed into a lightning-bolt hood ornament for his new partner. Hot Shot named his new Mini-Con after the electrical energy he bestowed upon him in this configuration. Hot Shot then used Jolt's electrical powers to short out Demolishor when the Decepticons charged the Autobots. Overwhelmed, the Decepticons retreated soon afterwards. {{storylink|Transformers Armada: Race for the Mini-Con Robots|Race for the Mini-Con Robots}}

===''Mini Mayhem!''===
In a celebration of the Transformers brand, Jolt showed up as one of the Mini-Con representatives for the "Unicron Trilogy" era of the franchise. {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===''Hot Shot's Bot Thoughts''===
Hot Shot introduced [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] to Jolt by showing his backside to the old 'bot (because that's where Jolt Powerlinx, duh). {{storylink|Hot Shot's Bot Thoughts}}

===Legends World===
"Powerlinx" Jolt was part of [[Rattrap (BW)#Legends comic|Rattrap]]'s or [[Waspinator (BW)#Legends comic|Waspinator]]'s [[Mini-Con]] collection in the [[Legends World]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Armada Megatron)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
A Jolt hailed from [[Aurex 606.0 Kappa]], where he was the partner to [[Smokescreen (Cybertron)|Smokescreen]]. Jolt fought with Smokescreen, [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]], [[Longarm (Armada)|Longarm]], and the [[Emergency Mini-Con Team]] against the Decepticons [[Landslide (Decepticon)|Landslide]], [[Drench (Universe)|Drench]], and [[Wind Sheer (Armada)|Wind Sheer]]. After the Autobots triumphed, Red Alert and [[Firebot (Armada)|Firebot]] were suddenly abducted by [[Unicron]] to fight in the [[Cauldron]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/14}}

==Games==
===''Transformers'' (PS2)===
Jolt was one of many [[Mini-Con]]s who crash-landed on Earth when fleeing the war on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. He was trapped inside a Mini-Con-Disc and needed to be saved before the [[Decepticon]]s could find him. Once awakened, he agreed to assist the [[Autobot]]s in their battle against [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and became [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]]'s Mini-Con partner. You can run him over, but due to gameplay-reasons he actually is invincible. Jolt does not talk, but if attached to Hot Shot, he increases his speed in exchange for [[Energon]]. If his special powers are not needed, he follows his counterpart by foot, defending and assisting him with shots from his laser gun. {{storylink|Transformers (Armada PS2)|Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Armada''===
[[File:Armada Jolt toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Hot Shot''' (Super-Con Class, [[2002]]/[[2003]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara name'': '''Hot Rod''' (ホットロッド)
:*''Takara ID number'': '''MC-03'''
:*''Takara release date'': [[December 26]], 2002
:*''Accessories'': Missile, engine-block/blaster
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro), [[Yuichiro Hira]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Available only with his larger Autobot partner [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Armada|Hot Shot]], Jolt transforms into a red helicopter of an unknown, probably-made-up model. He has a massive engine block/twin-barreled cannon that attaches to his copter-mode underside, and can slide onto his fist in robot mode, though its sheer size in relation to Jolt leaves him a bit unbalanced. Additionally, the gun has a Mini-Con socket on top of it, so it can be used to activate gimmicks on larger toys.

: As a Mini-Con, he has two [[Powerlinx]] sockets that allow him to attach to larger toys through dedicated Mini-Con hardpoints. He can attach to the hardpoint on top of Hot Shot's vehicle-mode spoiler, and fold down his back end to act as a rear-mounted "speed boosting" propeller. Jolt's gun plugs into Hot Shot's hood, releasing a pair of "driving claws" from his front bumper; these function as his feet in robot mode, so activating these is a necessary step in transforming him. Hot Shot can also use the gun as chest armor, or mount it on any other Powerlinx plug thanks to the socket on the gun's top. Sorry, there's no way to have Hot Shot hold the gun in his hand.

: While Hot Shot received a fair few changes for his [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''Legend of the Microns'' release, Takara Jolts only change is pins holding the rotor and tail fin section to his body instead of friction pegs.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Mini-Con/Jolt/jolt.htm More information on Jolt at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|AirDefense}}
[[File:Hot Rod and Air Defense Micron.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Hot Rod & Air Defense Micron''' (Multi-pack, 2002)}}</ul>
:*''Sonokong name'': '''Red Gun & Air Defense'''
:*''ID number'': '''MS-01'''
:*''Takara release date'': [[December 26]], 2002
:*''Accessories'': Missile, engine-block/blaster

: [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s "Hot Rod" and Jolt were also released in a box set with the [[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)#Toys|Air Defense Microns]]. Each item in the set is identical to their individual versions.

: This set was also released by [[Sonokong]] in Korea, with no changes from the Takara release, other than the packaging. This was also the only way to obtain "Red Gun" (Hot Shot) and the "Air Defense" in Korea.

{{-}}{{anchor|Powerlinx}}
[[File:Armada Powerlinx Jolt toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Powerlinx Hot Shot with Powerlinx Jolt''' (Super-Con Class, 2003)}}</ul>
:*''Takara name'': '''Hot Rod Super Mode''' (ホットロッドS)
:*''Takara ID number'': '''MC-13'''
:*''Takara release date'': [[September 11]], 2003
:*''Accessories'': Missile, engine-block/blaster
{{toydesigner|[[Joe Kyde]] (deco artist)}}

: [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#ArDxPx|Powerlinx Hot Shot]] naturally came with a Powerlinx [[redeco]] of Jolt, now in yellow and black.

: Once again, the Takara "Spark Jolt" is basically identical to the Hasbro release.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Mini-Con/PXJolt/jolt.htm More information on Powerlinx Jolt at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BonusMiniCon}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Powerlinx Hot Shot with Powerlinx Jolt''' (Super-Con Class, 2003)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Missile, engine-block/blaster

: In November of 2003, US [[Toys"R"Us]] stores had special bonus pack Super-Con (Deluxe) toys, which came with a single bonus Mini-Con attached to the card over their sticker, for less than the price of a normal Super-Con during Toys"R"Us' post-Thanksgiving-day sale. Like [[Cyclonus (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Cyclonus]], Powerlinx Hot Shot and Jolt could come with one of the [[Adventure Mini-Con Team]] members: [[Dune Runner (Armada)#Toys|Dune Runner]], [[Iceberg#Toys|Iceberg]], or [[Ransack (Armada)#Toys|Ransack]].
{{--}}

===''Built to Rule!''===
[[File:Built To Rule! Jolt.jpg|right|upright=1.45|thumb|HELIKOPTER HELIKOPTER]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Hot Shot''' (Built to Rule!, 2003)}}</ul>

: ''[[Built to Rule!]]'' Jolt is a building-block set that must be assembled in each form then disassembled and rebuilt to "convert" from robot to helicopter and back again. Naturally, he was only available with Hot Shot.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Mini-Con/BTRJolt/jolt.htm More information on ''Built to Rule!'' Jolt at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Universe'' (2003)===
[[File:Uni03-toy Jolt BIAB.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|OH GOD LONGARM I'M BLIND]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1|'''Smokescreen with Jolt vs. Drench with Wind Sheer''' (Battle in a Box, <s>[[2004]]</s>?)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Engine-block/blaster

: Part of a planned ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' "[[Battle in a Box]]" set with his larger partner [[Smokescreen (Cybertron)#Toys|Smokescreen]], this version of Jolt trades some of his red parts for white plastic, but also loses all of his facial paint (as Smokescreen's complex deco probably ate into the paint budget).

: The two were planned to come with the Decepticons [[Drench (Universe)#Toys|Drench]] and [[Wind Sheer (Armada)#Universe (2003)|Wind Sheer]]. Though tentatively a [[Target]] store [[exclusive]] (according to [[Hasbro]] representatives at [[OTFCC 2004]]), alas, it was canceled. While Drench and Wind Sheer would later see release [[Sideswipe (SG)#Toys|in a modified fashion]], Smokescreen and Jolt did not. (Not that Smokescreen-decoed toys were hard to come by.)

{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

===''Universe'' (2008)===
[[File:TFU08-toy Jolt.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|I don't look like this!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Hot Shot''' (Deluxe Class, [[2008]])}}</ul>
:*''Series'': Armada Series
{{toydesigner|[[Bill Rawley]] (Hasbro), [[Hironori Kobayashi]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Andrew Scribner]] (deco artist)}}

: Once again available only with [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Universe (2008)|Hot Shot]], [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'']] Jolt transforms into a small helicopter. He has extra paint applications on his tail section, as well as some parts now cast in black plastic for contrast and visual appeal, such as his propeller and upper arms. He now has one Powerlinx socket instead of the original two.

:Jolt can attach to Hot Shot's vehicle mode by inserting Jolt's arms/engines into slots in the back of Hot Shot's spoiler. However, the connection does not hold very tight. Jolt can also attach to the Powerlinx peg on the Hot Shot's vehicle mode trunk or robot mode shoulder, but this does not activate any features.

:Unfortunately, the propeller and front half of Jolt's helicopter mode hang off of his back, making him extremely back heavy. Combined with his lack of heel spurs, he can't stand up straight without instantly toppling over.

:Jolt's mold was also used to make ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' [[Jolt (Henkei!)#Toys|Jolt]] and ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Cop-Tur (G1)#Toys|Cop-Tur]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Mini-Con/Jolt/jolt.htm More information on ''Universe'' Jolt at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Transformers'' (campaign item)===
[[File:AOE-toy Jolt.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Micron Jolt''' (Promotional Micron, [[2014]])}}</ul>
:*''Release date'': [[May 17]], 2014

: Micron Jolt is a translucent-red redeco of [[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|''Generations'']] [[Blaze Master#Generations|Blazemaster]], transforming into a helicopter of undetermined, probably made-up model that kinda-sorta looks like a Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low. He also has a third blaster-cannon weapon mode with a [[5 mm post|5 mm handle]]; his rotor blade can also be removed and used as a weapon by other figures thanks to the same 5 mm post compatibility.

: He was part of the "Clear Micron Campaign", [[exclusive]] to [[AEON]] stores, free with the purchase of 3000 yen worth of [[Transformers: Age of Extinction (franchise)|''Lost Age'']] product.

: This mold was also used to make ''Generations'' [[Spinister (G1)#Generations|Spinister]] and [[Shūta Gō#Generations|Shūta Gō]].
{{--}}

===''Legacy''===
[[File:Legacytoy-Armada-Jolt.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Armada Universe Powerlinx Hot Shot / Armada Universe Jolt''' (PulseCon-exclusive multi-pack, [[2023]])}}</ul>
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro),<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBqMyy6HYxE San Diego Comic-Con 2023 Generations panel recording] at the "Memo's collection" YouTube channel</ref> [[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8kPFTS6hEM&t=2957s ''Transformers'' panel] with [[Ben MacCrae]], [[Mark Maher]], [[Evan Brooks]], [[Takio Ejima]] and [[Thew Adams]] at [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2023]].</ref>}}

:Included with "[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#LegacyPowerlinx|Armada Universe Powerlinx Hot Shot]]", ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy: Evolution]]'' "Armada Universe Jolt" is a cartoon-accurate rendition of the character, transforming into a helicopter in 8 steps.

:Despite being done in a cartoon-accurate orange deco, Jolt notably lacks all of the red accents and the ability to attach to Hot Shot's engine-block piece, which is considered to be a part of his helicopter mode in the cartoon. However he features both a 5mm port and a flip-out 5mm peg on his underside so he can feasibly attach to pretty much anything else, including the rifles included with the set though ironically, not Hot Shot's robot back as there just isn't room for him under the Axelzooka. Like the original 2002 toy and the cartoon, Jolt can attach to the back of Hot Shot's vehicle mode. The instructions indicate that this can only be accomplished with his rotors folded back, as there isn't enough space for his arms. However, in an undocumented feature, in vehicle mode, if you unpeg his forearms from the main body and fold the arms at the elbows until they lightly click into place at a 90-degree angle, then you ''can'' attach Jolt with the rotors facing up, ''and'' this allows for a slightly more secure attachment. Also, he has fold-out heels to let him stand stably for the first time in twenty dang years!

:Like fellow new-mold 2023 Mini-Con (or Micromaster, as Jolt is referred to in the official Hasbro Pulse listing page!) [[Whisper_(SG)#Shattered_Glass_Collection|Whisper]], he features no Mini-Con insignia anywhere on his body.

:Jolt and Powerlinx Hot Shot were officially revealed at the [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2023 breakfast PR event.

::*[https://www.instagram.com/p/CxmCoBmM806/ ''Mark Maher's designer commentary on Legacy Evolution Powerlinx Hot Shot and Jolt'']
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===''Mega Super Collection Figure''===
[[File:MegaSCFHotRod.jpg|right|100px|thumb]]
*'''Hot Rod''' (2002)

: A small, non-transforming Jolt based on his cartoon model was included with [[Heroes of Cybertron (toyline)|Mega SCF]] Hot Shot.
{{--}}

===Big Transformers===
[[File:Bigtransformershotrod.jpg|right|100px|thumb]]
*'''Hot Rod''' (2002)

: The [[Kabaya]] "Big Transformers" Hot Shot included a tiny non-transforming vehicle-mode Jolt that can peg onto his shoulder.
{{--}}

==Notes==
* A CGI-rendered Jolt was one of several Mini-Cons who could be seen emerging from storage panels at the beginning of Armada toy commercials.
* Jolt's cartoon [[character model]] depicts the engine block/blaster weapon that [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] wields to be a part of his helicopter mode, and it only ever detaches from him in the cartoon when [[Powerlinx]]ed with Hot Shot… ''unless'' Hot Shot needs to wield a non-Powerlinxed weapon in a [[robot mode]] battle, but even then, Jolt is usually absent from those scenes entirely.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Jolt''' (ジョルト ''Joruto''), '''Spark Jolt''' (Powerlinx, スパークジョルト ''Supāku Joruto'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Bütyök''' ("Knob"), '''Szikra''' ("Spark")
*''Korean:'' '''Jolt''' (조르트 ''Joreuteu'')
*''Russian:'' '''Kvant''' (Квант, "Quantum")
*''Polish:'' '''Iskra''' (Star Food Chips, "Spark")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Armada Jolt character model.jpg|''Armada'' cartoon robot mode
File:Armada Jolt vehicle model.jpg|''Armada'' cartoon vehicle mode
</gallery>

[[Category:Age of Extinction Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Armada Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Built to Rule!]]
[[Category:Cybertron Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Japanese promotion exclusives]]
[[Category:Legacy characters]]
[[Category:Legends Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Mini-Cons]]

Leader-1 (Armada)

2026-01-22T16:32:50Z

Silverfoil:

{{factions|minicon|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Leader-1}}
:''Leader-1 is a reluctantly [[Decepticon]]-allied [[Mini-Con]] from the [[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]] portion of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family]].''

[[Image:Leader-1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|This is every freakin' day of his life.]]
'''Leader-1''' was once a wise and benevolent leader of the Mini-Con settlements on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], but when [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] appropriated the Mini-Cons for his evil purposes, he kept Leader-1 as his own personal attendant. Megatron was cruel to the peaceful Mini-Con, delighting in his misery, and all Leader-1 could do was silently plot his escape.

Slowly, maliciously, a dark corner was being tugged at within Leader-1's mind, as he realized he enjoyed his growing love for domination and sadism. One day, he insists, he'll do away with Megatron once and for all, in the most humiliating and painful way possible. It will be a delicious irony.

{{bigquote|Do you have any idea how much I '''hate''' you, Megatron? The ordeal of capture, the agony of mecha-sectioning, the ignomy of enforced servitude and, worst of all, your utter disregard for my intellect. That's just... '''unforgiveable'''!|Leader-1|"[[Dreamwave Armada issue 11|Armada #11]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic===
[[Image:Leader-1heads.jpg|left|thumb|Leader-1's head design changed from artist to artist (no biggie), issue to issue (it's possible), and sometimes page to page (whaa?).]]
Leader-1, head of [[Mini-Con Sector|Mini-Con village D10]], was one of the Mini-Cons whose entire village was captured by the Decepticons at the beginning of the war one million years ago. He managed to get a distress call sent to [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], who then showed it to [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 1|Armada #1}} When the Mini-Cons escaped from the Decepticon fortress, Leader-1 had the misfortune of being with Megatron at the time, and thus had to serve him for the next four million years. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 2|Armada #2}} Megatron continued to use Leader-1 to power himself up during the ensuing war, {{storylink|Armada Free Comic Book Day}} including for a battle with Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Armada Preview}}

When Megatron left for [[Earth]] to hunt down the escaped Mini-Cons, he took Leader-1 with him. During a battle between Megatron and Optimus Prime, he and several other Mini-Cons were Powerlinxed to their cruel master. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 5|Armada #5}} After losing the battle, Megatron tried to force more power out of poor Leader-1, which only served to weaken the Mini-Con. Luckily, a chance for a bit of revenge opened up shortly afterwards when Megatron captured the [[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Team]]. The Decepticon ordered Leader-1 to jam any distress calls from the captured Mini-Cons, but he happily ignored that order, allowing [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] to learn about the kidnapping. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 6|Armada #6}} He later combined with Megatron during another clash with the Autobots. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 7|Armada #7}}

[[File:DWArmada10 Leader1Triumphant.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Stop right there, [[Cy-Kill (Armada)|Cy-Kill]]!]]
Eventually, Leader-1 and the rest of the Mini-Cons on Earth were suddenly compelled to gather around a [[Mini-Con Ark|mysterious monolith]], which took off into space after they all entered it. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 8|Armada #8}} The Mini-Cons were taken to a [[Mini-Con Moonbase|fortress]] on the moon, where they were imprisoned. Leader-1 suspected that someone had decided to end the war by getting rid of all of them, but soon learned that it was [[Dualor (Armada)|Dualor]] who had summoned them. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 9|Armada #9}} When the Decepticons assaulted the fortress, Leader-1 shot the [[Destruction Mini-Con Team|Destruction Team]] in the back and took over the control room, {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 10|Armada #10}} immediately contacting Megatron and giving him directions through the fortress. Ultimately, it turned out that Leader-1 had plans of his own, as he led Megatron into a security chamber and sealed the doors, before turning all of the automated weapons on him. As he gloated about finally getting his revenge for millions of years of indignity, pain, suffering, and torment, Dualor came to and punched him. This brief interruption provided enough time for Megatron to escape and tear his way into the control room, recapturing Leader-1. {{storylink|Dreamwave Armada issue 11|Armada #11}}

After being forced to spend some time in the [[Punishment Cube]], Leader-1 was ordered to analyze the Decepticons' malfunctioning [[space bridge]]. The Mini-Con found that there was some kind of stress on the inter-spatial network, and scratched it up to outside interference. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 1 of 4}} He later reported to Megatron that the Autobots had sent a probe into sub-space to search for the missing Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 2 of 4}} Leader-1 was Powerlinxed to his master during his battle with a [[Galvatron (G1)|interdimensional visitor]]. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 3 of 4}}

Leader-1 ultimately regained his freedom when Megatron released him and the other Decepticon-held Mini-Cons in order to battle [[Unicron]]. And, as Megatron was slowly, tortuously, and systematically disassembled and destroyed by Unicron's internal defense systems, Leader-1 ended up having the last laugh. {{storylink|The End (Armada)|The End}}
{{-}}

====''More Than Meets The Eye''====
When Megatron gained a more powerful form and renamed himself "Galvatron", he discarded Leader-1 because he was not strong enough by the reborn Decepticon's standards. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye: Transformers: Armada|Galvatron's ''More Than Meets The Eye'' profile}} However, Galvatron was unable to find a better Mini-Con than Leader-1, so he built himself one that was genetically related to but stronger than Leader-1: [[Clench (Armada)|Clench]]. Rumors existed that Clench even was Leader-1's [[Relatives|brother]], but neither Mini-Con wished to comment on them. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye: Transformers: Armada|Clench's ''More Than Meets The Eye'' profile}}

===Cartoon continuity===
====''Armada'' cartoon====
[[Image:Leader-1animated.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Leader-1 is adorable.]]
Millions of years ago on Cybertron, Leader-1 was one of the Mini-Cons suborned by the Decepticons to increase their personal power. He became the official partner of Megatron during the war, until he somehow broke free and joined his fellow Mini-Cons in fleeing their homeworld through a series of warpgates. Their escape vessel finally crashlanded on Earth's moon four million years ago. {{storylink|Prehistory}}

Early in the search for the Mini-Cons scattered across [[Earth]], Megatron found a [[Mini-Con storage panel]] near the Decepticons' base on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. He activated the panel and was pleased to see Leader-1 appear. Returning to the base, Megatron chastised the other Decepticons for missing a Mini-Con who was right under their noses. Leader-1 punctuated Megatron's displeasure with an incredibly powerful laser blast from his chest. {{storylink|Metamorphosis (Armada)|Metamorphosis}} As they went into battle on Earth against the Autobots, Megatron used Leader-1 to supercharge his fusion cannon, making it so powerful that he was blasted backwards with each shot of his cannon. {{storylink|Base}}

[[Image:Confrontation-Bribing_the_Warren.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Your meager offering does not - wait, are those ''Ruffles''?]]
Leader-1 spent most of his time perched cutely on Megatron's shoulder, only springing into action when Megatron needed to unlock one of his [[Powerlinx]] features. He deployed in Big Canyon to help Megatron annihilate [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]], but [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] warped in and interrupted the fight before Megatron could unleash his Mini-Con enhanced firepower. {{storylink|Comrade}} As if being a slave wasn't bad enough, Leader-1 also had to act as the Decepticons' janitor around the moon base, and keep a careful eye out for the clumsy [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] accidentally stepping on him! {{storylink|Carnival}}

When [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] kidnapped [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] and [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] to use as hostages, Leader-1 stood guard over the duo in an abandoned barn. Fred tried to befriend the Mini-Con by offering him a potato chip, but ultimately Leader-1 was only part of the trap, as Megatron lay buried unmoving under some wreckage in the barn. When the other kids and the [[Street Action Mini-Con Team]] came to rescue Billy and Fred, Megatron revealed himself and took them all hostage to force Prime to hand over all his Mini-Cons. All the kids but Rad managed to wiggle free, and Megatron sent Leader-1 to stop Fred from poking him with Laserbeak's stunner mode. Leader-1 actually showed a moment of reluctance to harm his potato chip buddy. {{storylink|Confrontation (episode)|Confrontation}}

During a Mini-Con search in the cramped confines of a city subway system, Leader-1 and the other Decepticon Mini-Cons were dispatched to comb the catacombs more quickly than their [[Bulk]] counterparts could manage. {{storylink|Underground (episode)|Underground}} He and [[Bonecrusher (Armada)|Bonecrusher]] also assisted Megatron in an underwater mission. Leader-1 Powerlinxed with Megatron to create a new "Evolution Transformation" mode, maximizing his firepower to new heights. {{storylink|Ruin}} Leader-1 also assisted Megatron on a volcanic island, as the Decepticons fought for possession of the last [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] panel. {{storylink|Prehistory}}

[[File:Rescue megatron leader1 gun.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
After invading the Autobot base, Leader-1 briefly Powerlinxed with Megatron to help him recover the Star Saber Mini-Cons, but to no avail. {{storylink|Swoop (episode)|Swoop}}

Megatron used Leader-1 in his [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] pistol mode against [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] and [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] when they invaded the Decepticon moon base. {{storylink|Credulous}} The Decepticons captured the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] in that fight, but direct possession of it went to [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]]. Seeking to correct that mistake, Megatron had Leader-1 help him arrange to relieve Starscream of that burden. Searching for a Mini-Con in the foggy English countryside, Leader-1 covertly cast some friendly fire Starscream's way. With the proper placement, he maneuvered Starscream into taking a swing at his fellow Decepticons with the Star Saber. When Megatron took a hit in the arm "protecting" [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] from Starscream, Cyclonus and the others questioned letting him keep such a dangerous weapon. With popular opinion turned against him, Starscream was forced to turn the Star Saber over to Megatron for "safe-keeping". {{storylink|Conspiracy}}

[[File:Mini-Cons Puppet.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
As Megatron prepared for a major strike against Optimus Prime, he and Leader-1 worked with a septet of captured Mini-Cons to arrange for the trap. When Megatron finally snared Optimus, however, the Mini-Cons began to show doubt in working for him. Leader-1 tried to motivate them with a couple of well-placed laser blasts from his chest, but ultimately the other Mini-Cons turned against Megatron and joined the Autobot team. {{storylink|Vow}}

Battling the Autobots on a small island in the ocean, Megatron employed Leader-1 in his Targetmaster pistol mode for additional firepower. {{storylink|Awakening (Armada)|Awakening}} [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] later assembled the Decepticons' military Mini-Cons ([[Crumplezone (Armada)|Crumplezone]], Leader-1, [[Blackout (Armada)|Blackout]] and [[Inferno (Armada)|Inferno]]) into a ground warfare squad to confront the enemy. As he led them into combat, the Mini-Cons kept the Autobots busy on the ground while [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] and [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] dealt with the aerial [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Jet Optimus]]. {{storylink|Desperate}}

[[File:Cramp galvatron tidalwave.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
When the Autobots invaded the Decepticon base to free the Mini-Cons, Leader-1 Powerlinxed to Megatron's arm to boost his power. During the struggle, [[Perceptor (Armada)|Perceptor]] managed to override the [[Servility Program]] of the Decepticons' Mini-Cons, and they began to sing their song of freedom. Leader-1 almost succumbed to the song and detached from Megatron as well, but the Decepticon leader held fast to his personal Mini-Con, and forced Leader-1 into his Targetmaster pistol mode to continue the assault on the Autobots. {{storylink|Rescue}}

Leader-1 was attached to Megatron during combat in space when Optimus Prime returned to life. {{storylink|Miracle (episode)|Miracle}} Shortly thereafter, Leader-1 appeared over a nameless planet where the Autobots and Decepticons were fighting with [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]]. He and several other Mini-Cons used their combined power to repair the damage the Cybertronians had suffered, upgrading Megatron into [[Megatron (Armada)|Galvatron]] in the process. {{storylink|Puppet}}

Leader-1 was visibly present attached to Galvatron whenever he was Powerlinxed with Tidal Wave. {{storylink|Uprising (Armada)|Uprising}} {{storylink|Cramp}} {{storylink|Union}}
{{-}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
[[File:Mini-Cons Cybertroncomic.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
{{note|Leader-1's color scheme in the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' comic reflects his original colors despite him changing color in the ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' episodes following [[Puppet]].}}
During the chaotic times of the [[Unicron Singularity]], Leader-1 was part of an army of insurgent Mini-Cons fighting against the [[Mini-Con Council of Sages]] over control of one of Cybertron's moons. {{storylink|Revelations Part 4}} When a team of Autobots joined the fray, he attacked [[Sentinel Maximus]] alongside the [[Deep Space Mini-Con Team]]. {{storylink|Revelations Part 5}}
{{-}}

===Panini ''Armada'' comics===
[[File:IntoTheLionsDen Leader1Sparkplug.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|]]
Leader-1 was in Megatron's grasp as far as four million years in the past. {{storylink|Friends and Foes!}} He was power-linked to his master when the Decepticons first arrived on Earth and clashed with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]], {{storylink|First Encounter!}} and Leader-1's power would've allowed the Decepticon to win if [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] had not decided to help Prime. {{storylink|Friends and Foes!}} Leader-1 boosted Megatron up a while later, when the tyrant tried to stop Prime from sending his Mini-Cons back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 4|No Way Back!}}

Leader-1 was present at the Decepticon base in [[Silver Ridge]] when [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] and two other Autobot Mini-Cons broke in and offered to save them from Decepticon captivity. Leader-1 was deeply grateful to Sparkplug...for surrendering himself to the Decepticons! Knowing that Megatron would reward him if he delivered more Mini-Cons to him, Leader-1 grabbed Sparkplug and ordered [[Crumplezone (Armada)|Crumplezone]] and [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] to capture the others. The Autobot Mini-Cons fought back and managed to escape, and later pondered if Leader-1 and the others had been corrupted or if the Decepticons had just "let out something that was already there." {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 4|Into the Lions' Den!}}

After the Decepticons relocated to a base on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], Leader-1 reported to Megatron that [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] was returning from a failed mission. As it turned out, Cyclonus was possessed by the [[Destruction Mini-Con Team]], who attacked the base. Leader-1 power-linked with Megatron in order to fight back against the possessed Decepticon, but the link was severed when [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] brought out the [[sonic destabiliser]]. {{storylink|Panini Armada issue 9|Dawn of Destruction!}}

===Reader's Digest ''Armada'' novels===
A Mini-Con panel was found by Megatron and Cyclonus on the lunar surface. Megatron activated the panel, and named the robot that emerged "Leader-1." Leader-1 mentally bonded with Megatron instantly, attached himself to Megatron's shoulder, and transformed into a machine-gun. Megatron tried out his new weapon and was pleased at the boost of power his new partner granted him. Emboldened by his new acquisition, Megatron then launched an attack on the Autobots' base on Earth, bringing Leader-1 along. When Optimus transformed into his “Super Optimus Prime” mode to overwhelm the Decepticons with raw power, Megatron linked up with Leader-1 to match his nemesis's strength. Both Mini-Con and Bulk doubled in size upon combining, with Leader-1 morphing from a machine-gun to an additional turret for Megatron's tank mode. But the power that Leader-1 bestowed upon Megatron proved to be too much for the Decepticon leader to handle in the midst of battle. Megatron's first attempt at firing Leader-1 at Optimus caused him to reel back from the recoil. Once Megatron recovered, he made another attempt at firing Leader-1. This time around, Optimus managed to get in close and twisted Leader-1's gun barrel skyward, causing the shell to detonate harmlessly overhead. Outmatched, Megatron ordered a retreat, and teleported back to the Moon with Leader-1 still attached to himself. {{storylink|Transformers Armada: Race for the Mini-Con Robots|Race for the Mini-Con Robots}}

===''Mini Mayhem!''===
In a celebration of the Transformers brand, Leader-1 showed up as one of the Mini-Con representatives for the "Unicron Trilogy" era of the franchise. {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers'' (PS2)===
Leader-1 appears as part of Megatron's arsenal during the battle in the volcano in the [[Pacific Island]] level. Leader-1 is attached to Megatron's arm, allowing for Megatron to fire laser projectiles at any Autobots who dare challenge him. {{storylink|Transformers (Armada PS2)|Transformers}}

==Toys==
===''Armada''===
[[Image:Armada Leader1 toy.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Megatron with Leader-1''' (Giga-Con, [[2002]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara ID number'': '''MD-01'''
:*''Takara release date'': [[December 26]], 2002
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (Takara)}}

: Available only with the larger ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Armada|Megatron]] toy, Leader-1 transforms into a Cybertronic buggy with twin top-mounted blasters. As a Mini-Con, he has a "[[Powerlinx]]" socket on his vehicle-mode underside which allows him to attach to any toy with a "Powerlinx" style [[5 mm post]]; some toys have special Powerlinx posts that activate/unlock gimmicks when a Mini-Con is attached. Oddly, the central peg inside Leader-1's Powerlinx socket is a separate piece of plastic from the rest of his torso, with a small "button" connected to it on his back. It is unclear what purpose this serves.

: He also has three different "gun" configurations: one is a hand-held blaster (his right fist ends in a 5 mm post to serve as a handle), one is an "angled" blaster designed to fit in the flip-up tank-tread panel on Megatron's right shoulder, the other is supposed to go on the back of Megatron's main turret (and seemingly involves the aforementioned mini-button of uncertain purpose).

: The pins used to secure Leader-1's shoulders are known to become completely loose with enough play. As nothing secures his arms in any mode, they will move freely in robot and buggy mode once this happens, though it does not impede his use as a weapon or Minicon. Although he technically has functional knees, the blasters that fold in behind his legs severely limit their utility.

: This mold was also used to make [[Clench (Armada)#Toys|Clench]] and [[Caliburn (Universe)#Toys|Caliburn]]. He also shares engineering with ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Drill Bit (Cybertron)#Toys|Drill Bit]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Mini-Con/Leader-1/leader-1.htm More information on Leader-1 at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Clench}}
[[File:Armada Clench toy.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|(''Hasbro Clench shown for now'')]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Megatron Super Mode''' (Giga-Con, [[2003]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''MD-08'''
:*''Release date'': [[September 11]], 2003

: In the Takara ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)#Takara's Legends of the Microns toyline|Legends of the Microns]]'' line, the Hasbro [[Clench (Armada)#Toys|Clench]] deco (with slight alterations) was released as Leader-1's powered-up form, as seen in the ''Armada'' cartoon. Available only with [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#ArmadaGalvatron|Galvatron]], "Spark Barrel" has slightly-darker purple and gold plastics.

: You can, of course, use your Clench toy as "Powerlinx Leader-1" if you want. Go nuts.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Mini-Con/Clench/clench.htm More information on Clench at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Black}}
[[File:Arm-toy Leader1Black.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Black Megatron''' (Giga-Con, 2003)}}</ul>

: A contest prize limited to 100 pieces, Megatron and Leader-1 were [[redeco]]ed in primarily black with dark purples, grays, and olive-greens, with shock-bright green and yellow accents. Wicked.

: The contest was listed in the June 2003 issue of ''[[TV Magazine]]'' in Japan.
{{-}}

===''Built to Rule!''===
[[File:Built To Rule! Leader 1.jpg|right|upright=1.45|thumb|Please make sure to [[Blitzwing (G1)|tank him]].]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Megatron with Leader-1 and Cyclonus with Crumplezone''' (2003)}}</ul>

: ''[[Built to Rule!]]'' Leader-1 is made out of building blocks that can be reconfigured from a reasonable robot to an inaccurate buggy to anything you can think of (as long as it's limited to the few pieces he's made up of). He was only available with the largest ''Transformers Built to Rule!'' set, which also included a large [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Built to Rule!|Megatron]] build, a [[Cyclonus (Armada)#Built to Rule!|Cyclonus]] build, and a similar-construction [[Crumplezone (Armada)#Built to Rule!|Crumplezone]] Mini-Con.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Mini-Con/BTRLeader-1/leader-1.htm More information on ''Built to Rule!'' Leader-1 at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Mega Super Collection Figure===
*'''Legends of the Microns Micron Megatron''' (2002)
: A small soft-plastic mini-PVC of Leader-1 came with the [[Heroes of Cybertron#Mega SCF|Mega Super Collection Figure]] version of Megatron.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Micron/MegaSCFBarrel/barrel.htm More information on ''Mega Super Collection Figure'' Barrel at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
*Leader-1's name is a homage to [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]], leader of the [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]]s from the ''[[GoBots]]'' of the 1980s.
*During the course of American dub of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' cartoon, several characters were mistakenly referred to as "Leader-1". [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] in particular seemed to bear the Leader-1 brunt.
*An abandoned character concept for Leader-1 was revealed by the Hasbro team during their panel at OTFCC 2003. The idea was that Leader-1 would have been deranged, thinking of himself as being the dominant one in his Mini-Con/Bulk partnership, with Megatron actually being HIS minion. This, obviously, was not used.
*While not ever being mentioned by name or acknowledged after the ''Armada'' episode [[Puppet]], Leader-1 is quite clearly visible on [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron's]] tank turret whenever he is combined with [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]].
**More confusingly, Leader-1 actually appears with the other Mini-Cons in the episode mentioned above as they grant the upgrades to their [[Bulk]]s while also being attached to Megatron at the same exact time. This is more than likely a continuity error or a miscommunication between animators.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Barrel''' (バレル ''Bareru''), '''Spark Barrel''' ("Powerlinx", スパークバレル ''Supāku Bareru'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Vezér''', '''1-es Vezér''', '''Vezér-1'''
*''Korean:'' '''Barrel''' (발레르 ''Ballereu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Leader-1''' (里德王 ''Lǐdéwáng'')
*''Spanish:'' '''Líder''' (Spain, "Leader"), '''Leader-1'''
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Lider Odin''' (Лідер Oдин, "Leader One")
*''Polish:'' '''Liderus''' (Star Foods Chips)

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Armada Leader-1 character model.jpg|''Armada'' cartoon robot mode
File:Armada Leader-1 vehicle model.jpg|''Armada'' cartoon vehicle mode
</gallery>

[[Category:Armada Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Built to Rule!]]
[[Category:Cybertron Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Legends Mini-Cons]]

Bumblebee (film)

2025-08-02T11:07:37Z

Silverfoil:

{{disambig3.5|the feature film|the Autobot it features|Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee}}
{{Nav-Bumblebee}}
{{movie|
|seriess=[[Live-action film series]]
|prev=Transformers: The Last Knight (film)
|next=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)
|title=''Bumblebee''
|image=BumblebeeMovieNewPoster.jpeg
|caption=According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway, because bees don't care what humans think is impossible.
|production companies=[[Allspark Pictures]] [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura|di Bonaventura Pictures]] [[Tencent Pictures]] [[Michael Bay|Bay Films]]
|distributor=[[Paramount Pictures]]
|executive producer=[[Steven Spielberg]]
|producer=[[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] [[Tom DeSanto]] [[Don Murphy]] [[Michael Bay]] [[Mark Vahradian]]
|written by=[[Christina Hodson]]
|directed by=[[Travis Knight]]
|cinematography by=[[Enrique Chediak]]
|edited by=[[Paul Rubell]]
|music by=[[Dario Marianelli]]
|release date=[[December 21]], [[2018]]
|continuity=[[Live-action film series]]
|runtime=114 minutes
|budget=$102–135 million
|box office=$468 million
}}
'''''Bumblebee''''' is the sixth movie in the [[live-action film series]]. A "reset" of the film series as a whole,<ref name="reboot">[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] at TFW2005</ref> ''Bumblebee'' acts as a prequel to the previous five movies, albeit [[retcon|taking some liberties]] with continuity. The film is directed by [[Travis Knight]] rather than [[Michael Bay]] (who still pitches in as producer), written by newcomer [[Christina Hodson]], and produced on a far lower budget of around $100–137 million.<ref>[https://screenrant.com/bumblebee-movie-budget-cost/ "The film's budget is reportedly in the range of $100-137 million..." -Screenrant article on the film's budget and profit]</ref> The film was released in the U.S. on [[December 21]], [[2018]].

When [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] is sent to [[Earth]] to establish a base for the [[Autobot]]s, he finds himself hunted by both [[Sector Seven]] and the [[Decepticon]]s. With his memory and voice lost in battle, he is found by [[Charlie Watson]], a young woman in search of a direction in life. The pair work together to try to discover who Bumblebee is and why he's on Earth, but ultimately they'll find themselves with the fate of the planet in their hands...

{{bigquote|Thank you...so much...for giving me...my voice.|[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]}}

==Synopsis==
[[File:BBfilm-Optimus-Bumblebee-Earth.jpg|thumb|left|300px|"In tennis, you attack at the point of weakness!"]]
War rages on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and things look bad for the [[Autobot]]s. The [[Decepticon]]s have broken through the front lines, contact has been lost with the capital, and [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]], [[Brawn (ROTF)|Brawn]], [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], [[Cliffjumper (Movie)|Cliffjumper]], [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Wheeljack]], [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]], and several other survivors are pinned down under Decepticon assault until [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] arrives to momentarily repel their foes. Prime looks for scout [[Bumblebee (Movie)|B-127]], who appears only a moment after. The arrival of [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]], [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] and [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] on the battlefield, as well as the surge in Decepticon forces, prompts Prime to order the Autobots to fall back to a launchpad. He instructs the Autobots to board escape pods and flee from the planet. He also gives B-127 a secret mission: go to [[Earth]], a well-hidden planet Prime has identified, and establish a base for the Autobots to regroup and strike back. As the [[Seeker (Movie)|Seeker]]s under Shockwave's command begin attacking the launchpad directly, Prime leaps into the horde of Decepticons to buy B-127's pod some time to escape.

[[File:BBfilm-Burns-meets-bee.jpg|thumb|300px|"This isn't a goodfella. This is a ''bad''fella!"]]
The year is [[1987]], and Agent [[Jack Burns]]' team of [[Sector Seven]] agents emerge victorious from a mock battle after leading [[Danny Bell]] and his team into an ambush. As Burns good-naturedly chides his unlucky opponent, however, an unknown projectile appears overhead and plows into their midst, injuring many agents. Burns, believing his team to be under projectile assault after confirming that no other military practices using live ammo are occurring nearby, immediately calls for backup... upon which he comes face to face with B-127 rising from the crater. He immediately orders his forces to give chase, and the Autobot flees after [[scanning]] and [[transformation|transforming]] into a nearby military jeep.

Even though the military attempts to capture him with [[harpoon]]s and [[machine gun]]s, B-127 evades them and emerges into a clearing leading to an empty mineshaft. Burns gives the order to cut it off from escaping into the mine, which one of his soldiers executes by blindsiding B-127 with his jeep. However, B-127 begins talking to the humans in [[United States of America|English]], assuring them of his peaceful intentions and that he is not here to hurt anyone. Burns orders the soldiers to stand down, only for a jet to appear overhead. Burns is baffled that the Air Force was alerted this early, but the robot corrects him—the plane is, in fact, the Decepticon [[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]], who bombards the clearing with missiles and swoops in to attack the yellow Autobot!

[[File:Bumblebee-BeeVsBlitz.jpg|300px|thumb|left|"I have been felled by a winged beast of destruction!"]]
B-127 puts up a valiant effort against Blitzwing and even manages to damage his opponent's flight systems, but is soon subdued and dangled over a cliff. Blitzwing interrogates the scout about Optimus Prime and the Autobots' whereabouts; the scout valiantly refuses and asserts that he will "never talk," a move that prompts Blitzwing to "make it official" by ripping out his voice synthesizer. Badly injured, he is thrown off the cliff and prepared for execution. But B-127 uses a moment of quick thinking to rip a missile from the Decepticon's arm and shove it into his chest. B-127 takes advantage of the Decepticon's momentary confusion to kick himself away before opening fire on the missile, detonating it, and killing Blitzwing. As he limps away, Burns watches him leave trapped under a destroyed jeep. The Autobot crawls to a riverbank before collapsing from his injuries, with his memory cells critically damaged. His systems scan a nearby [[Volkswagen]] Beetle before he finally fades away to unconsciousness...

[[File:BBfilm-Charlie-finds-bee.jpg|thumb|300px|"What about you?" "He really is dead."]]
In [[Brighton Falls]], [[Charlie Watson]], a 17-year-old girl one day away from turning 18, awakens from her slumber. Since Charlie isn't over [[Charlie's dad|her father's]] death yet, she brushes off her annoying younger brother [[Otis Watson|Otis]], and her mother [[Sally Watson|Sally]]'s infatuation with her new boyfriend [[Ron (BB)|Ron]]. Charlie bikes to her job at the [[Brighton Falls Boardwalk|boardwalk]], where she is utterly humiliated in an encounter with [[Tina Lark]] and her posse. She visits [[Hank's Marine Repair and Parts]] after hours to look for car parts, discovering an old V.W. Beetle under a tarmac after accidentally knocking over some motorboats. She finds the key in the ignition and attempts to start it, but is surprised when the car emits an unintelligible signal...

On one of [[Saturn]]'s moons, Decepticon hunters [[Shatter]] and [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] interrogate Cliffjumper about Optimus Prime's whereabouts. The Autobot remains resolute, which angers his interrogators, until B-127's signal, activated on Earth by Charlie, reaches the three [[Transformer]]s. The two Decepticons agree to go to Earth and hunt down B-127 instead, and Dropkick vertically bisects Cliffjumper, killing the Autobot.

In a [[Texas]] trailer park, the dysfunctional couple, [[Roy (BB)|Roy]] and [[Amber]], argue about Roy spending the down payment for their house on a tricked-out new car, among other things. Their spiel is interrupted when a meteor crashes mere feet from them, missing Roy's new car, much to his relief. However, he's not so lucky when a second one falls as it obliterates both his prized car and their house. Headlights shining from inside the inferno give the irresponsible man some hope until Shatter and Dropkick reveal themselves and transform before them. As Roy attempts to greet the newcomers, Dropkick kills the unlucky man and leaves Amber before the Decepticons drive off to the West Coast following B-127's signal.

Failing to make progress on repairing her late father's Corvette and feeling left out by her family, Charlie wakes up to the worst 18th birthday imaginable. The disappointing presents from Sally and Ron (a pink bicycle helmet and a book about smiling more, respectively) only worsen the feeling. She fumes in her bedroom before storming over to the auto repair and asking [[Uncle Hank|Hank]] for the Beetle. She even offers to work at the shop for a year in exchange for the car, but Hank refuses since he isn't hiring employees, and Charlie can take the car for free if she can get it to start. Charlie gets to work and soon triumphantly drives her new car home.

[[File:BBfilm-Charlie-Bumblebee-garage.jpg|thumb|300px|left|"You like jazz?"]]
Charlie parks her new Beetle in the garage but is surprised when a part falls out from its undercarriage. She's even more surprised when an inspection of the vehicle reveals what appears to be a ''face'' under the car... moments before B-127 transforms and reveals himself to her. However, Charlie's only momentarily terrified as her fear turns to compassion upon seeing that the Autobot is about as afraid of her as she is of him. She manages to soothe the scared scout and emotionally connect with him, giving him the name "Bumblebee" after the warbled beeps and buzzes he makes.

[[Seymour Simmons|Agent Simmons]] relays the news of the Decepticons' landfall to Burns, who immediately prepares a team to travel to Texas and intercept them.

[[File:BBfilm-Bumblebee-pat-pat.jpg|thumb|300px|"You're flying outside the hive, talking to humans that attack our homes with power washers and M-80s!"]]
Charlie awakens the next day and goes straight to the garage, but discovers to her horror that Bumblebee has vanished without a trace. A quick interrogation of Otis reveals Sally has appropriated Charlie's car to take their dog [[Conan]] to the vet, as Ron needed to use the family station wagon. Charlie frantically chases her mother on her moped and manages to pull her over, despite Bumblebee almost blowing his cover by extending an arm out from his trunk and waving at her. She later takes the Autobot to a secluded beach, where she teaches him that he should always assume [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode]] unless the two of them are alone.

[[File:ShatterDropkickhologram.jpg|thumb|300px|left|"Mr. Bee, I'm going to ask what I think the entire court here would like to know... what exactly is your relationship to that woman?"]]
Burns' team and [[Dr. Powell]] intercept the two Decepticons in Texas and ask them to state their business. Dropkick wants to eliminate the humans, but Shatter comes up with a better idea; lying to the humans that they are a "peacekeeping Decepticon patrol." She asks Sector Seven's aid in tracking down the "dangerous escaped criminal" B-127. While Burns is doubtful, Powell, enthusiastic at the prospect of first contact with an [[alien]] species, eagerly agrees to talk to his superiors about the matter.

Bumblebee and Charlie bond in a secluded forest, but when Bee's chest starts sparking from the damage he took during his fight with Sector Seven, Charlie attempts to fix it, only to activate a holographic message sent by Optimus Prime accidentally. While the message is garbled and incomplete, hearing it jolts a memory in Bumblebee...

''Leaping from the collapsing launchpad and latching onto a Seeker to make his way down, Optimus fights his way through several Seekers before Soundwave deploys [[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] to attack him. Prime manages to fight off the feline minion with some effort, but his distraction has allowed dozens of Decepticons, including Soundwave, Shockwave, and Starscream, to surround him. The Decepticons move in to attack the Autobot leader even as B-127 watches, unable to help, from his departing escape pod...''

[[File:BBfilm-Charlie-Bumblebee-hugs.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Charlie realizes that Bumblebee is on the run from something serious. When he attempts to use his broken radio, she decides she can at least fix that, and they return to her garage, where she sets about extracting the radio from the Corvette. Bumblebee starts playing a video, which turns out to be footage of her last dive meet made by her father shortly before his death. She installs the radio in Bumblebee, though he forcefully ejects the music tapes she inserts into him. While she's looking through her tapes, he starts thumbing through her father's L.P.s, and she scolds him. However, after she notices a specific record, her mood changes, and she starts playing it, recalling how she and her father used to listen to it while working on the Corvette. She tells Bee how her father died of a heart attack, and she's continued working on the car in his memory.

At Sector Seven, [[General Whalen]] leads a discussion over whether to allow the Decepticons access to their equipment. Burns believes they can't trust the Decepticons, but Whalen promises to turn them over to him once they track down B-127. Shatter and Dropkick are duly introduced to Sector Seven's array of computers, though they're more interested in the telephone network.

[[File:BBfilm-Charlie-Memo-ride-in-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|300px|left]]
As Bumblebee plays with his new radio, Charlie's neighbor [[Memo]] stumbles into the garage, intending to ask Charlie on a date, and is shocked at the sight of the giant robot. Charlie swears him to secrecy, and the pair go for a drive in Bumblebee. Charlie borrows Memo's shirt so she can show off by "driving" blindfolded, and they hang out of Bumblebee's sunroof.

Dr. Powell marvels over the radio at the massive worldwide interconnected web the Decepticons are constructing using the computers and telephone network to track [[energon]] signatures. Burns still has his misgivings, but Whalen believes they can turn the technology on the Decepticons.

Still driving in Bumblebee, Charlie and Memo realize that the reason the Autobot has been playing with his radio is to teach himself to speak with it. They arrive at a cliff by the seaside, where [[Tripp Summers]] challenges Charlie to dive off the cliff. When she's unable, despite urging from Bumblebee, she's cruelly mocked by Tina. Though Charlie claims not to be bothered, Memo and Bumblebee both want revenge. That night, they head to Tina's house and attempt to educate Bumblebee on the art of throwing toilet paper and eggs; this doesn't go well, culminating in Bumblebee enthusiastically jumping on Tina's car and the trio making a quick getaway before she emerges to find the damage. Their frantic driving is spotted by [[Sheriff Lock]], who gives chase in his cruiser. Bumblebee is easily able to outmaneuver Lock's vehicle, which ends up totaled as a result. The three fugitives return to Charlie's home, where they say their goodnights.

[[File:Bumblebee vs sofa.jpg|thumb|300px|"I told you, stop flying in the house!"]]
The next morning, Charlie tells Bumblebee he needs to stay in the garage as the authorities will be looking for him, and leaves for her job. Bumblebee instead ends up following Conan into the house, and his curious exploration ends up demolishing just about everything in the living room and kitchen. Finally, he ends up plugging himself into a wall socket, causing an energon-infused power surge that travels down nearby power lines. The equipment at Sector Seven detects the surge, and the Decepticons roll out, closely followed by Burns and his men. Memo also notices the commotion, so he calls Charlie, who returns home where the pair survey the devastation. Memo manages to get Bumblebee back into the garage, but Charlie realizes she's screwed. Meanwhile, the Decepticons have reached Brighton Falls.

Sally returns home with Otis to find the destruction. An argument ensues between her and Charlie, who ends up storming out. Charlie and Memo go driving to cool off, but they run into a roadblock set up by Sector Seven. Charlie tries to keep Bumblebee calm, but when the Sector Seven soldiers seize her, Bumblebee transforms and carries her off. Unfortunately, they immediately run into Shatter and Dropkick, who attempt to interrogate Bumblebee but are perplexed when the Autobot doesn't try to fight back. Burns and his men arrive and start zapping Bee with electrical guns, and Charlie gets knocked out when she attempts to help him.

[[File:BBfilm-interrogation.jpg|thumb|300px|left|"Remember what Van said, why is your life more valuable than mine?" "Funny, I just can't seem to recall that!"]]
Charlie wakes up in her bed and emerges from her room to find Agent Burns telling her parents that she had stolen valuable government equipment. Despite her protests, her mom banishes her back to her room. She promptly slips out through her window, and Otis catches her trying to get Memo's attention by throwing rocks at his window. She manages to stop him from alerting her mother. Joining Memo in his house, they watch a news report about Sector Seven setting up shop at [[McKinnon Air Base]], and Charlie reasons that's where they're holding Bumblebee. Otis is assigned to keep the plan secret while Charlie and Memo head to the base.

At the airbase, Powell watches the two Decepticons interrogate Bumblebee. Charlie and Memo sneak into the base in time to watch as the Decepticons inadvertently trigger Optimus Prime's recording, revealing that the Autobots are coming to Earth. As the Decepticons discuss the presented opportunity, Powell realizes their mistake in cooperating with the giant evil robots and tries to radio a warning to Burns before Dropkick kills him.

Sally and Ron pick over the debris in their house, and Otis is entirely unsuccessful at convincing them that Charlie is still in her room.

[[File:BBFilm-Charlie-Bee-touch-hands.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Shatter locates a nearby communications tower they can use to call in the Decepticon army. Once Dropkick blasts Bumblebee, the pair depart, and Charlie and Memo run to the lifeless Autobot's side. Charlie believes they can still revive him using the electrical guns, and though at first, it seems as though she's unsuccessful, Bumblebee sits up, and his memories start to restore. Agent Burns and his men arrive outside and blow up the exterior door before advancing inside. Charlie tells Bumblebee to run as the troops attempt to take her and Memo away, but the soldiers harpoon Bee. It's not until Burns throws Charlie to the ground that Bumblebee finds the strength to get up and start blasting, unfazed by anything the humans throw at him. Sector Seven retreats, but Charlie has to talk Bumblebee down. Charlie tries to persuade him that they need to hide, but Bumblebee is set on stopping the Decepticons. While Charlie leaves in Bee, Memo tries unsuccessfully to slow down the pursuing Sector Seven vehicles.

As Bumblebee and Charlie race through Brighton Falls, pursued by Sector Seven, they're joined by Sally and Ron in the station-wagon. Though Ron manages to obstruct Burns's vehicle successfully, he ends up spinning out as they approach a set of traffic lights, and there's an almost-pileup as multiple vehicles skid to a halt just inches from hitting each other. Shatter and Dropkick blend their technology into the communications tower at the port in preparation to send their message. Bumblebee arrives and has Charlie hide in a garbage bin for protection before he begins shooting the tower, prompting Dropkick to descend and engage the Autobot in a fierce fight. An errant missile throws Charlie from her hiding place, and, seeing Bumblebee occupied, she heads for the tower. Narrowly avoiding Bumblebee and Dropkick's fight, she starts ascending a nearby crane. Burns also arrives in a helicopter, ordering the pilot to open fire on the communications tower. The battle below moves into a dry dock, with Dropkick transforming to helicopter mode to fire at Bumblebee. Bumblebee throws a chain that hits the Decepticon's rotors, wrapping around Dropkick as he changes to robot mode and allowing Bumblebee to terminate him.

Charlie reaches the top of the crane and jumps across to the tower. Above her, Shatter shoots down the Sector Seven helicopter, sending it plunging towards the ground. Bumblebee manages to grab it before it can crash, saving Burns's life. Charlie moves to disconnect the Cybertronian power source, and when Shatter transforms into jet mode to stop her, Bumblebee shoots down the Decepticon. During the ensuing fight on the ground, Charlie successfully disconnects the tower's power source.

[[File:BBfilm-Charlie-Bee-underwater.jpg|thumb|300px|left|"You snap out of it!" "''You'' snap out of it!"]]
An enraged Shatter pounds on Bumblebee, who shoots the wall of the dry dock. Shatter mocks him for missing until the wall gives way, and Shatter gets crushed between a ship and the side of the dock. As Bumblebee sinks to the bottom of the flooded dock, Charlie overcomes her fear and dives in, finding Bumblebee at the bottom and helping him to get back to the surface. Finally seeing Bumblebee's true nature, Burns tells the pair they need to make their escape before the rest of Sector Seven arrives, and as they leave, Memo turns up just slightly too late to save the world.

[[File:BB-GoldenGateBridge.jpg|thumb|300px|"Beautiful day to fly." "Sure is."]]
Bumblebee and Charlie end up on a hill overlooking the [[Golden Gate Bridge]], where Charlie tells the Autobot that she can't interfere with his greater purpose, and they have to go their separate ways. After a tearful farewell, Bumblebee scans a passing Camaro as his new alternate mode and drives off to rendezvous with Optimus Prime on the bridge, leaving to continue his mission. Charlie returns home and reunites with her family and Memo.

That night in a nearby forest, Optimus commends Bumblebee on keeping Earth safe, as the two watch more Autobot refugees appear in the sky over Earth. Not far away, Charlie successfully gets the Corvette running and takes it for a first drive.
{{-}}

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters|
h1=[[Autobot]]s|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] ([[Dylan O'Brien]])
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Cliffjumper (Movie)|Cliffjumper]] ([[Andrew Morgado]])
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] ([[Dennis Singletary]])
*[[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]] ([[Grey Griffin]])
*[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Wheeljack]] ([[Steve Blum]])
*[[Brawn (ROTF)|Brawn]] ([[Kirk Baily]])
*[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]
*Autobot soldiers

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s|c2=
*[[Shatter]] ([[Angela Bassett]])
*[[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] ([[Justin Theroux]])
*[[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]] ([[David Sobolov]])
*[[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] ([[Jon Bailey]])
**[[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]]
*[[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] (Jon Bailey)
*[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]
*[[Thundercracker (Movie)|Thundercracker]]†
*[[Skywarp (Movie)|Skywarp]]†
*[[Thrust (Movie)|Thrust]]†
*[[Seeker (Movie)|Seekers]] (Kirk Baily; [[#Transformers references|see below]])

|h3=[[Human]]s|c3=
*[[Charlie Watson]] ([[Hailee Steinfeld]])
*[[Memo]] ([[Jorge Lendeborg Jr.]])
*[[Sally Watson]] ([[Pamela Adlon]])
*[[Otis Watson]] ([[Jason Drucker]])
*[[Ron (BB)|Ron]] ([[Stephen Schneider]])
*[[Uncle Hank]] ([[Len Cariou]])
*[[Craig (BB)|Craig]] ([[Kollin Holtz]])
*[[Tina Lark]] ([[Gracie Dzienny]])
*[[Tina's girlfriends]] ([[Isabelle Ellingson]], [[Mika Kubo]])
*[[Tripp Summers]] ([[Ricardo Hoyos]])
*[[Sheriff Lock]] ([[Fred Dryer]])
*[[Roy (BB)|Roy]] ([[Lenny Jacobson]])
*[[Amber]] ([[Megyn Price]])
*[[Charlie's dad]] ([[Tim Martin Gleason]])
*[[Bill (BB)|Bill]] ([[Antonio D. Charity]])
'''[[Sector Seven]]'''
*[[Jack Burns]] ([[John Cena]])
*[[Dr. Powell]] ([[John Ortiz]])
*[[General Whalen]] ([[Glynn Turman]])
*[[Seymour Simmons]] ([[Nick Pilla]])
*[[Danny Bell]] ([[Edwin Hodge]])

|h4=Others|c4=
*[[Conan]] ([[Sterling (dog)|Sterling]])
|nonumbering=true
}}

† The individual Seekers are identified as such in packaging bios for ''Studio Series'' toys of characters featured in the film.

==Quotes==
"I'll never talk." 
"Is that right? Then let's make it official."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Blitzwing''', right before the latter destroys the former's voice box.

"If ''you'' won't tell us where Prime is, perhaps your young friend will." 
"''Never''." 
"You're a brave warrior. You deserve a better death...then again..."
:—'''Shatter''' and '''Cliffjumper''', right before Dropkick executes the latter.

"I like the way they ''pop.''" 
"''Focus,'' comrade."
:—'''Dropkick''' and '''Shatter''', after the former kills a human bystander.

"I say this with all due respect...have you lost your damn mind?!" 
"''That'' was with all due respect?"
:—'''Agent Burns''' and '''Dr. Powell''' debate.

"They literally call themselves Decepticons. That doesn't set off any red flags?"
:—'''Agent Burns''' doesn't trust the giant alien robots.

"Look, I know what you saw is a little crazy. I can explain. ... Yeah, I can't explain, but here's the deal: If you tell anyone what you just saw, I'm going to have to run you over with my car." 
"...Jeez!" 
"...I don't mean that in a mean way, okay?"
:—'''Charlie''' and '''Memo'''

"Ron! We have a kid in the car!" 
"I was trying to save the other kid! What was I...It was a lose-lose!"
:—'''Sally''' and '''Ron'''

"You think these little chains can hold-"
:—'''Dropkick''' before being sliced to pieces by said little chains.

"Thank you...so much...for giving me...my voice." 
"Thank you for...for making me feel like me again."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Charlie''' say their goodbyes.

"No way. You kidding me? You're telling me you could've been a Camaro this whole time?"
:—'''Charlie''' sees Bumblebee has one last trick up his sleeve.

"Old friend, you kept this planet safe. Because of you, we have a future, B-127." 
"My name... is... Bumblebee."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' thanks the newly-rechristened '''Bumblebee'''.

==Continuity notes==
As a prequel to the rest of the live-action film series, ''Bumblebee'' includes set-up elements for several of them:

* Ancillary media dating back to [[2007]] has primarily credited [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] with inflicting the injuries that caused Bumblebee to lose his voice (with both the [[Aligned continuity family]] and the [[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|''Cyberverse'' cartoon]] adapting the idea for their continuities), but internal to the films themselves, no specifics were ever provided, with "damage in battle" being the only reason given for the little Autobot's muteness. ''Bumblebee'' tells the on-screen version of the story, revealing that Blitzwing was the culprit.
* Meanwhile, Megatron himself is notably absent from the film's Cybertron-set prelude since, per the first movie's events, he is frozen on Earth at the time.
* The first film introduced Sector 7 and their [[Hoover Dam]] headquarters. A young [[Seymour Simmons]] (played by [[John Turturro]] in the present-day films) appears among the organization's ranks.
* Thanks to Charlie fitting him with a working radio, Bumblebee learns how to "speak" by using snippets of music to express himself, which is, of course, how he communicates in all the other films.
* Burns warns Whalen of the potential for Decepticon attacks on Earth, citing [[Washington, D.C.]], [[New York City]] and [[Chicago]] as possible targets. All three of these cities experienced Decepticon activity in other ''Transformers'' films: New York in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', and D.C. and Chicago in ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.
* At the end of the movie, Bumblebee scans the [[1977]] Camaro mode that he had at the start of the original ''Transformers'' film.

Despite its notional "prequel" status, the film underwent significant reshoots ([[#Changes before, during, and after production|see below]]) that resulted in the deletion, alteration, and addition of scenes that create disjointedness between ''Bumblebee'' and the rest of the film series, even by the standard of the film series' usual ''laissez-faire'' approach to continuity, including:

* The ''big'' principal continuity-breaker is that the film completely throws out ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'''s premise that Bumblebee and the Autobots were active on Earth during significant periods throughout history, such as the {{w|American Revolutionary War}}, the {{w|Napoleonic Wars}}, [[World War I]], [[World War II]] and so on, and instead shows Bumblebee to have first come to Earth in [[1987]]. By extension, this also throws the film's [[Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Prequel|prequel comic]], which also operated on ''The Last Knight''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s premise, out the window.
* More circumstantially, the film's aesthetics are notably different, hewing much closer to Generation 1. Cybertron itself closely resembles its Generation 1 design instead of the "honeycomb" design seen in ''Dark of the Moon'' and ''The Last Knight''. Bumblebee's '77 Camaro robot-mode body, seen in the film's mid-credits sequence, is entirely different from his 2007 film appearance, instead depicted as a variation of the body used through the rest of this film.
* Sector 7 refers to their meeting with Shatter and Dropkick as "first contact," which feels a little off since, according to the first film, they've kept the AllSpark and the frozen Megatron in their Hoover Dam base since the early 20th century. Neither Megatron nor the AllSpark are mentioned in the movie's final cut, with Dropkick and Shatter showing no awareness of them despite being allowed into the base where Sector 7 keeps them—but these aren't really true inter-movie continuity-breaking discrepancies, as the same thing happened in the ''original'' cut of the film, where Megatron ''did'' appear in Sector Seven's possession in a mid-credits scene (again [[#Changes before, during, and after production|see below]]).
* In-keeping with the AllSpark going unmentioned, the Autobots leave Cybertron because they are on the losing end of the war, with Bumblebee going to Earth to establish a fallback position for his comrades, rather than to search for the cube. This isn't particularly incompatible what we see of 'Bee in the first film; the fact that the Autobots are seen arriving on Earth at the end in 1987 when the first film showed them coming in 2007 is more incongruous, but no more so than ''The Last Knight'' claiming that they'd already been there for centuries. Reconciling either ''The Last Knight'' or ''Bumblebee'' with the first film requires assuming that the Autobots will leave Earth again at some point in the next 20 years to search other planets and systems for the AllSpark, as mentioned in the first film's prologue, only to return when Bumblebee discovers it was on Earth all along—but as we said, this movie doesn't mention that. Notably, having Bumblebee lose his voice ''after'' coming to Earth actually ''necessitates'' a meeting between 'Bee and the other Autobots before the first movie. Ratchet noted in that film that he'd been trying to fix Bumblebee's voice for a while, meaning his arrival in 2007 couldn't be the first time he'd seen Bumblebee since he lost his voice.

These breaks in continuity have led to a debate among fans over whether the film constitutes a "hard reboot" of the movie universe (beginning a new run of films that are fully separate from the timeline of the five Michael Bay films) or if it's merely a "soft reboot" (comparable to ''{{w|X-Men: First Class}}'', another "prequel" movie that had irreconcilable continuity discrepancies with the film series it was meant to be part of, but was nonetheless treated as "canon"). The filmmakers have used made vague and contradictory statements referring to the movie's place in continuity; director Travis Knight said the film was "essentially (...) restarting the franchise and (...) rebooting these characters,"<ref>[https://www.moviefone.com/news/bumblebee-director-travis-knight-interview/ Interview with Travis Knight at Moviefone.com]</ref> (note the non-definitive "essentially"), while associate producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura said it was "neither a reboot nor a remake."<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2019/03/24/lorenzo-di-bonaventura-highlights-the-future-direction-of-the-transformers-movie-series-385782 Di Bonaventura interview at TFW2005.com]</ref> Hasbro themselves referred to the film as "the start of a new storytelling universe",<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2019/02/16/transformers-brand-info-from-new-york-toy-fair-2019-fan-media-panel-hasbrotoyfair-383106 Transformers Brand Info From New York Toy Fair 2019 Fan Media Panel, TFW2005.com]</ref> but when asked about that, Di Bonventura interpreted the ill-defined phrase as simply meaning the creators had "freedom" to tell new stories that didn't necessarily follow the rules of the other films. Many movie news sites have pounced on these statements to declare the film an unambiguous reboot, leading to that sentiment being widely repeated across other sites, but ultimately, it has to be understood that the word "reboot" does not always mean to filmmakers and executives what it means to continuity-minded fans, and that they don't really think about "continuity" and "canon" that same precise way we do. The 2023 sequel, ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', was promoted with similar fuzzy statements and mixed-messaging about whether the film truly constituted a total reboot or not.

==Transformers references==

[[File:BBfilm-Optimus-Prime-leaps-into-battle.jpg|thumb|300px|"All right, scramble, jocks! It's time to fly."]]
*During the opening battle on Cybertron, the Autobots' weapons fire orange laser blasts, while the Decepticons' fire blue ones, replicating the color-coded blaster fire of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] (though there, the Decepticons' weapons fire ''purple'' blasts).
*Optimus Prime's entrance into the battle on Cybertron is a direct reference to his famous leap into action from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*In another seeming ''The Movie'' homage, Brawn is downed by a shot to the shoulder during his cameo. This time, however, he survives and is seen among the Autobots getting into the escape pods.
*The well-known Autobots are accompanied by [[generic]] recolors of Ironhide with one of two new heads.<ref name="ILM">[https://www.ilm.com/visual_development/bumblebee-developing-an-epic-set-piece BUMBLEBEE: DEVELOPING AN EPIC SET PIECE] at ILM</ref>
*The Seekers' Cybertronian alternate modes are loosely inspired by their "tetrajet" modes from the [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|first Generation 1 episode]].
*Starscream is the only "unique" Seeker to appear during the film's Cybertron sequences. The rest of their forces are made up of countless robots that recycle five generic designs: blue-and-white (based on [[Thundercracker (G1)|Generation 1 Thundercracker]]), [[:File:BB-Skywarp-concept.jpg|purple-and-grey]] (based on [[Skywarp (G1)|Generation 1 Skywarp]]), [[:File:BB-Thrust-concept.jpg|green-and-grey]] (based on [[Thrust (Armada)|''Armada'' Thrust]]),<ref name="ILM" /> teal-and-white, and grey-and-red. The "Thrust" model has a triangular protrusion position behind its head, loosely replicating the character's "[[Conehead]]" appearance without actually giving him a genuine conehead.
**While it is hard to determine which (if any!) of these generic robots are the ''actual'' movie universe incarnations of [[Thundercracker (Movie)|Thundercracker]], [[Skywarp (Movie)|Skywarp]], and [[Thrust (Movie)|Thrust]], ''Studio Series'' toy bios help clear matters up: the ''real'' Skywarp and Thrust are stated to be the ones who joins Starscream in "blast[ing] the Autobot[s'] launchpad with missile fire to stop their escape from Cybertron".
*Cliffjumper, Arcee, and several generic Autobots wield pistols that are a direct design match to the [[generic Autobot laser pistol|"generic" pistol]] design used for Autobots in season 2 of the Generation 1 cartoon.
*The Cybertron tower containing the launchpad is based on the [[Great Dome]].<ref name="ILM" />
*[[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave's]] eye flickers very subtly during his brief line of dialogue like his [[Shockwave (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]].
*[[Shatter]], according to Travis Knight, is based on [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]].
*The concept of Cybertron falling into Decepticon hands and the Autobots initiating a mass exodus originates from the Aligned continuity family, although in this case, the Autobots depart in individual escape pods instead of [[Ark (disambiguation)|a single gargantuan starship]].
*[[Teletraan-I]] can be sighted in the background as the Autobots enter their escape pods.
*The [[Transformation#The noise|classic transformation noise]] is used ''liberally'' throughout the entire film. Some variant of it can be heard whenever a Transformer goes through a full-body transformation sequence onscreen, as well as whenever Bumblebee draws his arm blaster.
*Blitzwing drops a well-known [[Furmanism]] as he fights B-127, stating that the Autobot will "[[Furmanism#DIE SCREAMING|die screaming]]... like [B-127's] friends!"
[[File:BBFilm-Optimus-as-Freightliner.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*Memo is reading a copy of [[GoBots|''GoBots Magazine'']], which he tosses aside when he sees Charlie. Though ''GoBots Magazine'' was a real publication, the issue Memo reads isn't one of the five real-life issues that exist; however, it faithfully emulates their cover style, down to the "Collector Poster Inside" cover tag. In a deleted scene, Memo even theorizes that Bumblebee is a GoBot.
*A snippet of "[[The Touch]]" plays when Bumblebee is "encouraging" Charlie to dive from the cliff.
*The fight between Bumblebee and Dropkick includes a sequence where Dropkick picks up Bumblebee and throws him. Then the Autobot lands in car mode, veers around, and jumps to punch him in the face—which harkens back to the fight choreography between [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] from the G1 cartoon's season 1 opening credits.
*Optimus' vehicle mode at the end of the film is a Freightliner cab-over truck ''very'' similar to his G1 counterpart. He's even pulling the classic trailer, which has the signature 'stripe' on its side!

==Real-life references==
*One of the vehicles Bumblebee rejects scanning is the Urban Assault Vehicle from ''{{w|Stripes (film)|Stripes}}''.
*Charlie has a poster for the rock band {{w|The Pretenders}}, which coincidentally is the name of a Transformers [[Pretender|sub group]] involving the robots disguising themselves as human.
*Throughout the film, Charlie wears band shirts for {{w|Elvis Costello and the Attractions}}, {{w|Motörhead}}, {{w|The Damned (band)|The Damned}}, {{w|The Rolling Stones}}, and {{w|The Smiths}}.
*Charlie eats {{w|Mr. T Cereal}}.
*The Watson family dog, Conan, is named after {{w|Conan the Barbarian}}.
*Uncle Hank and Charlie's family watch ''[[ALF]]'', a sitcom from the '80s about an alien taking refuge in a human home. Fitting. However, see Errors.
*The station wagon Charlie's family drives is based on the one in ''{{w|National Lampoon's Vacation}}''.
*Cliffjumper repeats his name and rank while being interrogated by Shatter and Dropkick, which references a real-life rule in the {{w|Geneva Convention}} that states these are the only things soldiers have to divulge under interrogation. More specifically, this references a typical exaggeration in film and TV in which soldiers ''only recite these'' in response to their captors.
*The transmission that Cliffjumper and the Decepticons pick up from B-127 is the theme song to ''[[Cheers]]''.
*Dropkick and Shatter's arrival on Earth almost mirrors the appearance of the Bug in ''{{w|Men in Black (1997 film)|Men in Black}}''.
*Bumblebee watches ''{{w|The Breakfast Club}}'', leading to him emulating [[Judd Nelson]]'s iconic fist pump several times throughout the rest of the film.
*After repairing Bumblebee's radio, Charlie inserts a cassette of The Smiths' album ''{{w|Strangeways, Here We Come}}'' and "{{w|Girlfriend in a Coma (song)|Girlfriend in a Coma}}" briefly plays before Bee ejects the tape.
*Charlie also tries inserting a cassette of the [[Rick Astley]] album ''{{w|Whenever You Need Somebody}}'', causing it to play a snippet from "{{w|Never Gonna Give You Up}}".
[[File:BBfilm-cassette-drawer.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*Other musicians featured in Charlie's drawer of cassettes include {{w|Joan Jett}}, {{w|Adam and the Ants}}, {{w|Guns N' Roses}}, {{w|Talking Heads}}, {{w|INXS}}, {{w|Pink Floyd}}, {{w|Oingo Boingo}}, {{w|Huey Lewis and the News}}, and {{w|Prism (band)|PRiSM}}. She also mentions {{w|Stevie Nicks}} and The Rolling Stones while searching for tapes.
*The record Charlie takes from her father's collection is {{w|Sam Cooke}}'s 1961 album ''Sam's Songs'', and when she puts it on, Sam Cooke's version of "{{w|Unchained Melody}}" plays. However, see Errors. Also seen in the collection of records is {{w|Roxy Music}}'s ''{{w|For Your Pleasure}}''.
*Shatter asks Powell to "take [the Decepticons] to your leader," referencing the ages-old trope from early alien-related science fiction.
*The letters 'BFG' are written on Charlie's jean jacket, a reference to ''{{w|The BFG}}'', a children's book about a young girl befriending a big, friendly giant and defeating a group of evil giants together. Also quite fitting.
*Sector Seven uses a variant of the WOPR supercomputer from ''{{w|WarGames}}''.
*While looking around the Watsons' house, Bumblebee is briefly intrigued by a can of {{w|Tab (drink)|Tab}} soda and a game of ''{{w|Pong}}'' running on an [[Atari, Inc.|Atari 2600]]. However, see Errors.
*Otis wears a {{w|Bruce Lee}} T-shirt during the third act.
*Memo's room has posters for ''{{w|The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing}}'', ''[[Indiana Jones|Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'', Tom Baker-era ''[[Doctor Who]]'', and a {{w|Heather Thomas}} pin-up.
*Bumblebee's rampage is a direct nod to the 1999 [[Warner Bros.]] animated film ''{{w|The Iron Giant}}'', in which the titular robot protagonist assaults the U.S. military with glowing red optics in retaliation for them harming his human best friend.
*Ron claims he learned his driving skills from ''{{w|Miami Vice}}''.

==Errors==
*In her first appearance, Arcee is seen with a small blaster based on the large rifle design used by other Autobots. When Optimus Prime calls a retreat, she has a "generic pistol" instead. She has her first blaster again on the lauchpad.
*The episode of ''ALF'' that Charlie's family watch is episode 20 of season 2, "You Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog". The episode originally aired on February 29, 1988, a year after the movie is meant to occur.
*Charlie starts playing the first track on Sam Cooke's album ''Sam's Songs'', which ought to have been "Little Things You Do" rather than "Unchained Melody". The latter song doesn't even appear on the album, being the last track on side A of Cooke's earlier release ''Hits of the 50's''.
*Powell remarks that the Decepticon modifications to the S7 computers have created an "interconnected web of information," implying that the Internet's technology originated from the Decepticons. However, the idea of an interconnected network of computers for communications and data transfer was developing for decades before the film's setting in the late 1980s. The term "Internet" first appeared in the mid-1970s.
*Bumblebee watches a game of ''Pong'' running on the Atari 2600 plugged into the Watsons' television. However, ''Pong'' was never released as a standalone game for the 2600, only appearing as part of the ''{{w|Video Olympics}}'' game compilation, which featured a colorized remake that looked entirely different from the classic black-and-white version shown on the screen. The paddles are also seen moving on their own, despite no one touching the controllers and the game lacking any paddles in its attract mode.
*Simmons identifies Brighton Falls as a "coastal town." However, both the {{w|Richmond–San Rafael Bridge}} and {{w|Marin Islands|East Marin Island}} can be seen in the background of the Watsons' house establishing shots, which would place Brighton Falls within the San Francisco Bay, not quite on the coast. Furthermore, this causes problems with the [[Brighton Falls Boardwalk]], which faces the ocean... maybe Brighton Falls is just a ''very'' large town?

==Other editions==
*The version of the film available for streaming on [[Paramount+]] features a badly edited smash cut from the scene where Bumblebee and Charlie meet for the first time to Roy and Amber leaving their home to have an argument outside instead of the smooth night sky transition featured in other versions. This cut removes the presence of the country song "[[All My Ex's Live in Texas]]" from the film, suggesting some rights issues with it were most likely the reason the cut was made.

==Tie-in material==
*''[[Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Prequel]]''
During the lead-up to the release of the movie [[IDW Publishing]] released a four-issue limited series detailing an adventure set in the 60s, during which Bumblebee works with British intelligence to foil the plans of a group of Decepticons, including Blitzwing. It seems likely that author [[John Barber]] was working off an earlier draft of the film, which simply began with Bumblebee already on Earth in the time frame between ''The Last Knight'' and ''Bumblebee''.

*"[[Sector 7 Adventures: The Battle at Half Dome]]"
A one-shot promotional comic, that was released as [[pack-in material]] with the home video release and as a motion comic among the film's special features. The comic follows [[Seymour Simmons]] two years after the film's events, and serves to help bridge the gap between ''Bumblebee'' and the 2007 film.

==Music==
Two albums were released for the film:
*''[[Bumblebee (Motion Picture Score)]]'' - showcasing composer [[Dario Marianelli]]'s score for the film.
*''[[Bumblebee (Motion Picture Soundtrack)]]'' - featuring the film's diegetic music as well as Hailee Steinfeld's end credits song, "Back to Life."

==Home video releases==
{{main|Bumblebee (film)/home video}}
''Bumblebee'' was released on digital platforms on [[March 19]]; and on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K on [[April 2]]. A limited edition VHS copy was sent out as a promotional item, but was not available at retail.<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2019/04/01/transformers-bumblebee-movie-out-now-on-vhs-real-vhs-promo-copy-with-pics-386407 TFW2005 VHS coverage]</ref>

==Theatrical posters==
<center><gallery>
File:BumblebeeCharlieSilhouettePoster.jpg|Yellow-black,
File:BumblebeeCrouchingPoster.jpg|yellow-black,
File:BumblebeeUSMoviePoster.jpeg|yellow-black,
File:BumblebeeMovieNewPoster.jpeg|yellow-black...
File:BumblebeePosingPoster.jpg|Ooh, black and yellow!
File:BumblebeeBurnsDecepticons.jpg|Yeah, let's shake it up a little.
</gallery></center>

==Reception==
{{quote|Mankind has split the atom, sent a man to the moon, and now, in arguably its most unlikely achievement, it has produced a watchable ''Transformers'' movie.|Scott Tobias|[http://www.npr.org/2018/12/20/677501424/flight-of-the-bumblebee-transformers-flick-soars-over-low-franchise-expectations NPR review]}}

Coming off the notoriously poor reception to ''The Last Knight,'' ''Bumblebee'' had a ways to go in terms of redeeming the ''Transformers'' film franchise for both Paramount and the general movie-going public. However, the film was positively received by critics, who generally praised Travis Knight's restrained directorial approach, Hailee Steinfeld's acting, the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]]-styled robot designs, and Charlie and Bumblebee's dynamic, comparing the film to its spiritual predecessors, ''{{w| E.T. the Extraterrestrial|E.T.}}'' and ''{{w|The Iron Giant}}''. The film currently holds a 90% and a "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest score of any film in the franchise to date.<ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bumblebee/ ''Bumblebee'' review on Rotten Tomatoes]</ref>

After making $500,000 at 325 theaters from its December 8 preview screenings,<ref>[https://deadline.com/2018/12/aquaman-sneak-preview-box-office-amazon-prime-1202521144/ ‘Aquaman’ Amazon Prime Previews Hook Near $3M Besting ‘Jumanji 2’]</ref> ''Bumblebee'' made its domestic opening alongside ''{{w|Aquaman (film)|Aquaman}}'', ''{{w|Welcome to Marwen}}'', and ''{{w|Second Act (film)|Second Act}}'', and proceeded to gross $21 million over its first weekend, finishing third behind ''Aquaman'' and ''{{w|Mary Poppins Returns}}''.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2018/12/aquaman-bumblebee-christmas-thursday-night-previews-weekend-box-office-1202524462/ 'Aquaman’ Unwraps $22M+ On Christmas For $105M+ Cume; ‘Holmes & Watson’ Opens To $6M+; ‘Vice’ $4M+]</ref> In its second weekend, ''Bumblebee'' grossed another $20.5 million, remaining in third place.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2018/12/aquaman-mary-poppins-returns-bumblebee-new-years-weekend-box-office-1202526812/ 'Aquaman’ Sailing To $52M+ 2nd Weekend; $189M+ Cume Pacing Ahead Of ‘Doctor Strange’ & ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’]</ref> ''Bumblebee'' ended its domestic box office run on March 7, 2019, with a total domestic gross of $127.2 million, and earned an additional $340.8 million overseas (including $170.8 million from China) for a worldwide total gross of $468 million.<ref>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt4701182/?ref_=bo_se_r_1 Bumblebee - Box Office Mojo]</ref> While that total makes it the second lowest-grossing entry in the live-action film series to date, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish stated in January 2019 that ''Bumblebee'' was "solidly profitable," praising the film's performance as a turnaround for Paramount following the money-losing ''The Last Knight'',<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/viacom-ceo-says-hes-mulling-small-acquisition-targets-1175029 Viacom CEO Says He's Mulling Small Acquisition Targets]</ref> which ''did'' make more money but not enough to recoup its monstrous budget.

In 2019, ''Bumblebee'' became the first ''Transformers'' film since the 2007 film not to be nominated for any {{w|Golden Raspberry Award}}s. Indeed, the film was one of those selected as a candidate for a {{w|The Razzie Redeemer Award|Razzie Redeemer Award}}, with the website praising the film's more "innocent and endearing" approach to the franchise.<ref>[https://razzies.com/razz-newz.html Razz Newz]</ref>

==Production staff==
{{stub}}

==Development details==
*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>[[File:TransformersUniverseBumblebeePoster.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"My sweater is Ralph Lauren, and I have no pants."]]
*February 12, 2016 — At ToyFair, Hasbro reveals the projected release date of Transformers 6, along with those of its predecessor and [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Transformers 7]], as well as the fact that Transformers 6 will focus on Bumblebee.<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>
*December 29, 2016 — Lorenzo di Bonaventura names Christina Hodson as the screenwriter in an interview.<ref name="hodson">[http://collider.com/transformers-5-plot-characters-dinobots-details/ 'The Last Knight' Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura Reveals How a 'Transformers' Movie Is Made] on Collider</ref>
*March 3, 2017 — [[Travis Knight]] is appointed director.<ref name="deadlinedirector">[https://deadline.com/2017/03/bumblebee-movie-travis-knight-director-kubo-and-the-two-strings-1202034882/ Travis Knight To Direct ‘Transformers’ Spinoff ‘Bumblebee’ At Paramount]</ref>
*May 26, 2017 — A poster at Licensing Expo 2017 gives the name of the film as ''Transformers Universe: Bumblebee''.<ref name="expoposter">[https://www.cinemablend.com/news/1724400/the-bumblebee-movie-just-got-a-new-title-and-a-cool-80s-logo "The Bumblebee Movie Just Got A New Title And A Cool 80s Logo"]</ref>
*June 10, 2017 — [[Hailee Steinfeld]] reveals in an interview that she's been cast in the film.<ref>[http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/pitch-perfect-pop-star-hailee-steinfeld-hits-charts-with-most-girls-single-and-lands-transformers-role/news-story/47a238f0e75bf06a0ffc34a18e9906e4 Pitch Perfect pop star Hailee Steinfeld hits charts with Most Girls single and lands Transformers role]</ref>
*July 11, 2017 — [[Jorge Lendeborg Jr.]] is reported by The Hollywood Reporter to have been cast as the male lead.<ref>[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/transformers-spinoff-bumblebee-casts-jorge-lendeborg-jr-as-male-lead-1017547 'Transformers' Spinoff 'Bumblebee' Casts Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Male Lead (Exclusive)] on Hollywood Reporter</ref>
*July 13, 2017 — More actors including [[Jason Drucker]], [[Abby Quinn]], [[Rachel Crow]], [[Ricardo Hoyos]], and [[Gracie Dzienny]] join the cast.<ref>[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/transformers-spinoff-bumblebee-rounds-cast-1019823 'Transformers' Spinoff 'Bumblebee' Rounds Out Cast (Exclusive)]</ref>
*July 23, 2017 — [[Pamela Adlon]] joins the cast.<ref>[http://deadline.com/2017/07/pamela-adlon-bumblebee-movie-transformers-casting-1202133812/ Pamela Adlon Joins Cast Of 'Transformers' Spinoff 'Bumblebee']</ref>
*July 31, 2017 — [[John Cena]] is announced as a cast member. Also, Bumblebee is a Volkswagen this time. The film is pushed back to December 2018. Production begins,<ref name="cenareveal">[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/john-cena-joins-transformers-spinoff-bumblebee-1025411 John Cena Joins 'Transformers' Spinoff 'Bumblebee' (Exclusive)] on Hollywood Reporter</ref> with the filming going under the codename "Brighton Falls".<ref>[https://screenrant.com/transformers-bumblebee-working-title-filming-start/ Bumblebee Spinoff Working Title & Filming Start Date Revealed] on Screenrant</ref>
*August 6, 2017 — Hailee Steinfeld reveals on Twitter that her character's name is [[Charlie Watson]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Meet Charlie Watson. #BumblebeeTheMovie https://t.co/Z8kA8DGRk3|link=https://twitter.com/haileesteinfeld/status/894296888643432448|name=Hailee Steinfeld|site=Twitter|year=2017|month=8|day=6|(defunct=)}}</ref>
*September 9, 2017 — At [[HasCon 2017]], di Bonaventura discusses some hints on the film, including that the movie is set in [[1986]].<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/09/09/hascon-2017-bumblebee-movie-tidbits-348630 Hascon 2017: The Bumblebee Movie Tidbits] on TFW2005</ref>[[File:BumblebeeMovie firstlook.jpg|thumb|350px|"There's a bee in the car!"]]
*September 12, 2017 — Actor and stuntman [[Rory Markham]] reveals on Instagram that he is playing a [[Sector Seven]] agent named [[Agent Adams|Adams]].<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/09/12/sector-7-returns-transformers-universe-bumblebee-movie-348886 Sector 7 Returns in Transformers Universe: Bumblebee Movie] on TFW2005</ref>
*September 20, 2017 — Travis Knight reveals the first Decepticon vehicle mode in the form of a 1971 Plymouth GTX.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=LAIKA Pres & CEO Travis Knight on the set of his live-action film BUMBLEBEE. Travis will have more news on this & the next LAIKA film soon! https://t.co/SatTvufvhO|link=https://twitter.com/LAIKAStudios/status/910549230602788864|name=LAIKA Studios|site=Twitter|year=2017|month=9|day=20|(defunct=)}}</ref>
*October 2, 2017 — [[Peter Cullen]] has a role in the movie.<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/10/02/peter-cullen-confirmed-bumblebee-movie-351131 Peter Cullen Confirmed In The Bumblebee Movie] on TFW2005</ref>
*October 26, 2017 — [[John Ortiz]] is revealed to be a cast member.<ref>[http://deadline.com/2017/10/john-ortiz-paramount-bumblebee-spinoff-peppermint-stxfilms-1202195412/ John Ortiz Cast In 'Bumblebee' Spinoff & 'Peppermint'] on Deadline.com</ref>
*November 12, 2017 — A wrap party for the movie reveals the movie's title as ''Bumblebee: The Movie''.<ref>[https://www.cinemablend.com/news/1724400/the-bumblebee-movie-just-got-a-new-title-and-a-cool-80s-logo The Bumblebee Movie Just Got A New Title And A Cool 80s Logo] on Cinema Blend</ref>
*December 11, 2017 — {{w|Martin Short}} is revealed to be doing some voice work for the film.<ref>[http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/attheshore/headliners/steve-martin-and-martin-short-head-to-borgata-for-an/article_7d516048-de98-11e7-9fa4-c7175ccf2b9d.html Steve Martin and Martin Short head to Borgata for an unforgettable evening] on pressofatlanticcity.com</ref>
*December 29, 2017 — A "first look" photo is released showing Hailee Steinfeld and Bumblebee's Volkswagen alternate mode.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=First Look at "Bumblebee" from @ParamountPics with Hailee Steinfeld! #Bumblebee hits theaters on Dec. 21, 2018! https://t.co/6ROMvWRrML|link=https://twitter.com/AwardsCircuit/status/946794788988293121|name=Clayton Davis|site=Twitter|year=2017|month=12|day=29}}</ref>
*January 28, 2018 — During an interview at the Grammys, Hailee Steinfeld suggests Bumblebee may sing during the movie.<ref>[https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/lifestyle/8096803/hailee-steinfeld-hair-waves-2018-grammys-how-to Interview on Billboard.com]</ref>
*February 16, 2018 — At [[Toy Fair 2018]], Hasbro states that the film series will be reset after ''Bumblebee: The Movie''.<ref name="reboot" />
*April 24, 2018 — Footage of the film is shown at Cinemacon.<ref>[http://comicbook.com/movies/2018/04/26/first-bumblebee-footage-transformers-cinemacon/ First 'Bumblebee' Footage Previews the 'Transformers' Spinoff at CinemaCon] at comicbook.com</ref>
[[File:BumblebeeMovieShatter&Dropkick.jpeg|thumb|300px|"Thanks for the coffee. Sorry, I couldn't finish it. If I did, I'd be up the rest of my life."]]
*June 5, 2018 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAIX12F6958 official teaser trailer] is posted by Paramount Pictures, also revealing the film's title has been shortened to just ''Bumblebee''.
*June 6, 2018 — [[Charlie Adler]] reveals he is not in ''Bumblebee''.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Sadly no . But I’m sure whoever is doing it is wonderful ! It’s been a wonderful franchise for me for a long time and now some else’s turn !! Break a leg !|link=https://twitter.com/charlie_adler/status/1004401979597025280|name=Charlie Adler|site=Twitter|year=2018|month=06|day=06}}</ref>
*June 8, 2018 — [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] is initially stated to be in the film in a blog post on Paramount's parent company before his name is later scrubbed from the post afterward.<ref>[http://blog.viacom.com/2018/06/bumblebee-transforms-hailee-steinfelds-life-in-first-trailer/ Original text: "But things get hectic. The military lurks. So does dreaded Decepticon Starscream." Revised text: "But things get hectic. The military lurks. So does a dreaded Decepticon."]</ref>
*July 13, 2018 — Entertainment Weekly reveals [[Angela Bassett]] and [[Justin Theroux]] will voice new Decepticons [[Shatter]] and [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] respectively.<ref>[http://ew.com/movies/2018/07/13/bumblebee-decepticon-trackers-first-look/ First Look: Bumblebee unveils two new Decepticon muscle cars]</ref>
*July 20, 2018 — A ''Bumblebee'' panel at the [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2018 reveals more information on the film, such as details regarding the characters.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transformers-bumblebee-movie-panel-in-hall-h-at-sdcc2018-jointhebuzz/41645/ Seibertron's coverage on the SDCC'18 Bumblebee panel.]</ref> Also, John Cena dressed as Bumblebee.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I asked the fine folks @IGN to help me find the true meaning of robot existence at #SDCC. But did I, as John Cena, find the answers to living as a Bumblebee? Let’s find out. @bumblebeemovie https://t.co/j4RJde71Cg https://t.co/nEqBtuVgL2|link=https://twitter.com/JohnCena/status/1020800460125605890|name=John Cena|site=Twitter|year=2018|month=7|day=21|(defunct=)}}</ref>
*August 26–30, 2018 — [[David Sobolov]] confirms he is part of the cast of ''Bumblebee'' as the voice of [[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]].{{citesocial|quote=#Transformers fans... @ParamountPics has given me the ok to reveal I’m playing a role in the upcoming epic @bumblebeemovie! As of now I’m not authorized to tell you my character’s name. More news about that soon! Who do you think it is? @transformers @tfw2005 @seibertroncom https://t.co/XNeyuvmqQT|link=https://twitter.com/volobos/status/1033867788824309760|name=David Sobolov|site=Twitter|year=2018|month=8|day=27|(defunct=)}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=#Transformers fans... It's time to reveal I'm the voice of Blitzwing in @bumblebeemovie ! Thank you TravisKnight and @ParamountPics for this exciting chance to work on another epic @transformers adventure.|link=https://twitter.com/volobos/status/1035346211392368640|name=David Sobolov|site=Twitter|year=2018|month=8|day=30|defunct=y}}</ref> 
*September 22–23, 2018 — Three teasers were released on various platforms with many different languages, revealing [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] and [[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]]'s appearance in the movie. Additionally, shots were revealed of Optimus Prime's design, the three major Decepticons in the movie, and [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/soundwave-and-optimus-prime-featured-in-teaser-for-next-bumblebee-movie-trailer/42075/ Seibertron's article including the two of the teasers released] and [https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/new-bumblebee-movie-teaser-with-blitzwing-and-barricade/42078/ an article with one of the teasers.]</ref>
*September 24, 2018 — The official trailer is uploaded by Paramount Pictures' YouTube channel, revealing (among other things) [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] and the [[Seeker (Movie)|Seeker]]s' appearances in the movie. A second international trailer is released, showcasing some more scenes. An interview with Travis Knight on the new trailer is also published, revealing Starscream (''now'' it's legitimate) and [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Wheeljack]]'s appearance in ''Bumblebee''.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcwmDAYt22k Bumblebee (2018) - New Official Trailer] and [https://www.cbr.com/bumblebee-international-trailer-optimus-prime-cybertron/ an article showcasing the international trailer.] [https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/bumblebee-trailer-breakdown-travis-knight/ Interview with Knight.]</ref>
*September 27, 2018 - Before a special showing of [[The Transformers: The Movie|the animated movie]], another interview with Travis Knight and Hailee Steinfeld was seen AND a brief scene of Charlie and Bee's first interaction.
*November 13, 2018 - ''Bumblebee'' is rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence.<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/11/13/transformers-bumblebee-movie-rated-pg-13-376496]</ref>
*November 23, 2018 - A new trailer is released showcasing some new scenes, namely, Bumblebee's Cybertronian robot mode. Another trailer is released animated with...[[Play-Doh]].<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/bumblebees-cybertronian-mode-shown-in-a-new-movie-trailer-playdoh-trailer/42450/ Seibertron's article on the 2 new trailers]</ref>
*November 27, 2018 - A new featurette demonstrates the more G1-inspired designs of the Transformers, including a proper look at Optimus's model and brief shots of [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]], [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]], Wheeljack and [[Cliffjumper (Movie)|Cliffjumper]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRFv6JVFApk Bumblebee - First Generation Design - Paramount Pictures UK]</ref>
*December 2, 2018 - Lorenzo di Bonaventura confirms [[Dylan O'Brien]] as the voice of Bumblebee.<ref>https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/12/03/transformers-bumblebee-movie-voice-actor-dylan-obrien</ref>
*December 4, 2018 - New footage of the movie drops, showing Soundwave's voice, as well as many new shots of Cybertron and the battle between Bumblebee and Blitzwing.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/soundwave-speaks-more-footage-china-release-date-and-sponsor-and-more-bumblebee-news-roundup/42538/ Seibertron's coverage of the new trailer, as well as a general roundup of new footage.]</ref>
*December 8, 2018 - Special early screenings of the film take place in specific areas. Fans who attend are given free [[Tiny Turbo Changers]] toys, and short behind-the-scenes featurettes are shown before and after the film.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/early-reactions-and-impressions-for-2018-live-action-transformers-bumblebee-film/42550/ Seibertron's roundup of people's thoughts on the early screening.]</ref>
*December 10, 2018 - Hailee Steinfeld discloses at a premiere event that [[Kelly Fremon Craig]], who directed her in ''The Edge of Seventeen'', performed uncredited script rewrites on the movie.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/bumblebee-hailee-steinfeld-got-a-surprise-birthday-party-at-premiere-1168147/ THR: Hailee Steinfeld Gets Surprise Birthday Party at ‘Bumblebee’ Premiere]</ref>
{{--}}

===Changes before, during, and after production===
Initially, ''Bumblebee'' would have served as a more direct prequel to the 2007 movie, bridging the gap between Bumblebee's [[World War II]] adventures in ''The Last Knight'' and setting up some plot points from the original ''Transformers'' film. Many of these elements were subsequently dropped during reshoots following test screenings in 2018; this may have been a result of feedback from the test screenings, Paramount's concerns over the negative commercial and critical reception to ''The Last Knight'', or a desire to take the franchise in a new direction. Some of these changes include:
[[File:ANewCarForCharlie-deletedscene.jpg|thumb|300px|"TiVo. You can just freeze live TV? That's insane!"]]
*The film's original cut didn't include any scenes set on Cybertron, opening instead on a shot of Earth, where Bumblebee (who narrates in voiceover) is fleeing from Sector Seven in his Jeep mode.<ref name="opening">{{citesocial|quote=The Entire Opening was new and the earth sequence was reshot scene to have john cena and his crew in training excersize in a random forest rather than already hunting bumblebee in a forest bee is hiding in. In the prescreener it opened with a shot of earth from space with a quick few lines of exposition from bee before we cut to the jeeps and humvees already chasing bee. We never see him crashland or have a cybertronian mode.|link=https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/pre-screener-differences-warning-spoilers-ahead.1166457/|name=Optimus_Prowl|site=TFW2005|title=PRE-SCREENER DIFFERENCES: WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD|year=2018|month=12|day=28}}</ref> This setup maintained continuity with ''The Last Knight''. In this original opening, Bumblebee laments that the humans are now hunting him despite his being sent to protect them, and comes to the embittered conclusion that mankind isn't worth fighting for. This sets up the character arc Bumblebee is intended to undergo in the film, learning through his friendship with Charlie that not all humans are alike, and that there is good in them after all, culminating in his decision to fight Shatter and Dropkick in order to save the Earth from a Decepticon invasion after he regains his memories in the film's final act. This arc becomes diluted in the finished film, even though this climactic scene remains, since Bumblebee does not experience this loss of faith in the first place. This original opening is included among the deleted scenes on the home release.
**For the final cut of the film, the scene was reshot to have Bumblebee's escape pod crash-land near Burns's Sector Seven squad—who are in the woods because of a training exercise—by pure coincidence.<ref name="opening" /> Unfortunately, this creates some new discrepancies: Sector Seven is ''already'' driving SUVs equipped with anti-Transformer harpoon weaponry; a mid-1980s special forces unit keeps a WWII-era Willys Jeep around for some reason; and Bumblebee can speak English not more than a few minutes after landing on Earth.
**Blitzwing's scene was unchanged from the test screening, though at the time production had not settled on a name for the character.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Yep he died in the prescreener as well as the full film. As far as i remember he had a placeholder name on our little survey at the end that wasnt starscream or blitzwing though. I think he was given the name later through production. We also never hear said it in either version of the film, just in the credits and on the toy?|link=https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/pre-screener-differences-warning-spoilers-ahead.1166457/page-8#post-18508352|name=Optimus_Prowl|site=TFW2005|title=PRE-SCREENER DIFFERENCES: WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD|year=2020|month=11|day=10}}</ref>
*Burns was originally going to have a markedly different personality. In the test cut, he was depicted as a far grimmer character who had lost someone close to him in a prior Transformer attack. In the final version of the film, he became more eccentric, though remnants of his original personality still appear at times.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=A majority of cena and powells dialogue has been reshot to remove sector 7s prior knowledge of transformers and cena being xenophobic towards them due to a person close to him being killed by one at some point has also been removed from the final version. Cenas dialogue was also reshot in this to make him funnier when in the pre screener he was much more serious and cut throat. Some of these more intense lines still come through like when he and the general are listening to powell gush about the decepticons creating the internet. The first line about “powell being weird” is reshot but the rest is the original scene hence why he seems a bit more serious. This shift in his performance may be whats throwing some people off about him as there are are two distinct performances being twisted together.|link=https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/pre-screener-differences-warning-spoilers-ahead.1166457/|name=Optimus_Prowl|site=TFW2005|title=PRE-SCREENER DIFFERENCES: WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD|year=2018|month=12|day=28}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=The only character who was wildly different in the prescreener was John Cena. In the original cut he was much more cut throat and had a history with the transformers. Almost no jokes except the “Why do they always run?” Line. He had alot more levity added to his character with reshoots. Everyone else was exactly the same.|link=https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/pre-screener-differences-warning-spoilers-ahead.1166457/page-7#post-18110584|name=Optimus_Prowl|site=TFW2005|title=PRE-SCREENER DIFFERENCES: WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD|year=2020|month=07|day=19}}</ref>
*Otis appeared more frequently in the original cut of the film, particularly in the first act. Deleted scenes include: Charlie "dropping him off" at karate practice by having him ride a skateboard while clinging to the back of her bike [[Marty McFly]]-style; Charlie leaving to buy Bumblebee while she is meant to be watching Otis, warning him that she will kill him if he dies while she is away; Charlie coercing Otis into helping her clean the new Beetle when she returns; and Bumblebee breaking down on the road while the two are taking it for a test drive, leading Otis to abandon Charlie and walk off while a passing Tina taunts her. All of these scenes are among the deleted scenes included in the home release.
*Originally, Charlie was to have two friends named [[Liz]] and [[Brenda]] "Bren" (played by [[Rachel Crow]] and [[Abby Quinn]] respectively), who worked with her at Hot Dog on a Stick. The two originally appeared in the first Boardwalk scene where they tell Charlie they "aren't a match anymore," following her personality change after her father's death, upsetting her. They later reappear at the cliffside party, having bribed their way into Tina's friendship by giving her free corn dogs and abandoning Charlie for their new "cool" status. Both scenes are present as extras on the home release, and the characters still appear in the [[Transformers: Bumblebee: The Junior Novel|Junior Novel adaptation]].
*In the test cut, Cliffjumper was not part of the scene in which Shatter and Dropkick detect Bumblebee on Earth.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=In our cut Shatter and Dropkick just happened to be on the moon and receive the signal from bee. Cliffjumper wasn't there at all.|link=https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/pre-screener-differences-warning-spoilers-ahead.1166457/page-2#post-16444221|name=Optimus_Prowl|site=TFW2005|title=PRE-SCREENER DIFFERENCES: WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD|year=2018|month=12|day=29}}</ref> Cliffjumper's inclusion was made because his similarities to Bumblebee would set the stakes of the story: "You have to understand that if Shatter and Dropkick encounter Bumblebee, things are not going to end well."<ref>[https://uproxx.com/hitfix/travis-knight-interview-bumblebee/ Travis Knight ''UPROXX'' interview]</ref>
*Similarly, the extended flashback to Optimus Prime on Cybertron when Bumblebee watches Prime's holographic message was missing from the test cut, only added alongside the Cybertron opening which the assets were produced for.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The flashback with prime fighting the cons on cybertron when bee sees his hologram was newly added. It originally just played the message.|link=https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/pre-screener-differences-warning-spoilers-ahead.1166457/|name=Optimus_Prowl|site=TFW2005|title=PRE-SCREENER DIFFERENCES: WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD|year=2018|month=12|day=28}}</ref> The G1-style CGI model for Optimus was present in the original cut.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I think that no matter what the team behind this movie were thinking of redesigns from the get go, bee was already the cuddly pudgier more g1 version in the cut i witnessed rather than the studio series boxart and figure with the more pronounced door wings. Along with Optimuss hologram being the g1 style cybertronian design. Heck our cut still had Optimus as a flat nosed at the end. Regardless of if the cybertron scene was a way later addition or not the film was still going to be a stylistic reboot at the very least, making the designs easier on the eyes.|link=https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/pre-screener-differences-warning-spoilers-ahead.1166457/page-4#post-16452606|name=Optimus_Prowl|site=TFW2005|title=PRE-SCREENER DIFFERENCES: WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD|year=2018|month=12|day=31}}</ref>
*The scene where Bumblebee explores Charlie's house originally had the Autobot inadvertently bring the house's electronics to life with his [[energon radiation]], necessitating a slapstick fight sequence in which Bumblebee, Charlie, and Memo had to unplug the hostile Transformers to deactivate them. {{w|Martin Short}} would have featured in the scene, presumably as the voice of at least one of the mutations. This scene was cut ''very'' late in production, enough so that a version of it would find its way into both the junior novel and [[A New Car for Charlie|Junior Reader adaptations]]. As a result, the movie's corresponding scene features an unusually high number of rapid-fire jump cuts to mask the missing footage, including a strange, swaying "POV" shot that originally belonged to the mutant washing machine as it watched Charlie and Memo enter the house. Eagle-eyed viewers will realize that the house's television is gone from its usual spot. At the same time, the washing machine is, for no apparent reason, sitting in the middle of the family carpet, the "real" reason being that these appliances had been brought to life and summarily dispatched in the original cut of the movie. Another remnant of the sequence surfaces when Sally asks why the television's cord was cut—something of a ''non sequitur'' in this version. The complete sequence is included as one of the deleted scenes on the home release, though it does not feature Short's voice.
*Shatter and Dropkick's goal was unchanged from the test cut, but their plan actually hinged on this deleted scene with the Energon mutations: seeing how Bumblebee was able to bring the human technology to life, they decide to use the satellite to send out an Energon pulse to awaken an army, with Charlie needing to disable the Energon device they hook up to the tower.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=in the cut we had [Shatter and Dropkick] were hunting bee to find the location of optimus prime so their plot stayed largely the same as did their dialogue. The inly thing different that i can place right now is dropkicks death scream was much more intense and panicked in the prescreening, which was probably way too brutal for the kids so they altered it to be quick.|link=https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/pre-screener-differences-warning-spoilers-ahead.1166457/page-3#post-16444738|name=Optimus_Prowl|site=TFW2005|title=PRE-SCREENER DIFFERENCES: WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD|year=2018|month=12|day=29}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=i wanna say they claimed he was an escaped fugitive. Someone dangerous? I think most of the dialogue had generally thensame focus. The major change was with their plan. They discover that Bumblebee brought stuff to life in the original cut and plan to use and energon source and the satellite dish to send a pulse out across the city bringing all the appliances to life as an army for the decepticons rather than just sending out a signal to call the army. Thats why Charlie needs to climb the tower to get to the energon device thats hooked into the tower. She has to remove it before it sends the pulse out and theres a timer on it ticking down until its charged.|link=https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/pre-screener-differences-warning-spoilers-ahead.1166457/page-8#post-18117235|name=Optimus_Prowl|site=TFW2005|title=PRE-SCREENER DIFFERENCES: WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD|year=2020|month=07|day=21}}</ref> In the final cut, they're just calling Decepticon reinforcements.
*The test cut of the film featured a post-credit scene with Burns, Simmons, and Whalen discussing that the Autobots can never learn of "N.B.E.-01:" [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]], frozen in ice as per the 2007 movie, albeit redesigned to have a more [[Megatron (G1)|Generation 1-styled appearance]]. This scene was replaced in the final cut by entirely new scenes of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee watching more Transformers arrive on Earth and Charlie finishing her and her father's car repair project.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=A scene that was cut from the end in final version was a sector 7 scene between Cena, Simmons, and the General talking about how the autobots must never know about NBE1 which is revealed to be a frozen G1 styled megatron, fusion cannon and all, that has the same aesthetic as the cybertonian bots from the new opening sequence. Both post credits scenes were brand new in the final release, those being Bee and Prime walking along and watching more Autobots coming to earth and Charlie finishing her fathers car. Everything else was essentially the same between both versions, just cut slightly faster in some places to keep the pacing steady.|link=https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/pre-screener-differences-warning-spoilers-ahead.1166457/|name=Optimus_Prowl|site=TFW2005|title=PRE-SCREENER DIFFERENCES: WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD|year=2018|month=12|day=28}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=[Megatron's Tiny Turbo Changers design is] actually really close to what i saw! Essentially the design i saw in the film for a split second was like a blend of g1 and movie 1 megs. Had the general shape of g1 megs but with movie 1 megs detailing and definitely the movie 1 megs face|link=https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/travisformer-megatron.1161108/page-5#post-16720715|name=Optimus_Prowl|site=TFW2005|title=Travisformer Megatron|year=2019|month=03|day=23}}</ref>
**The scene where Bumblebee joins Optimus Prime on the Golden Gate Bridge was, however, the same in both versions and would've been the last on-screen appearance of Bee in the original cut. With that cut being more closely aligned with the live-action continuity at large, it seems likely that the scene was intended to be a bit more ambiguous—the audience at large would've been able to read it as "Bumblebee goes off to join Optimus Prime", while the filmmakers would've retained some plausible deniability in the form of "it's just a truck that ''looks'' like Optimus Prime"—thus better allowing for the arrival of the Autobots to occur as seen in the 2007 movie.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The final shot at the golden gate bridge with Bee turning into a camaro and following optimus on the golden gate was the same in both cuts|link=https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/pre-screener-differences-warning-spoilers-ahead.1166457/|name=Optimus_Prowl|site=TFW2005|title=PRE-SCREENER DIFFERENCES: WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD|year=2018|month=12|day=28}}</ref>
*A scene of Bumblebee being on the run in Vietnam in his World War II body made it to concept art stage.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/the-big-bumblebee-concept-art-thread.1167241/#post-16487632 Vietnam fields concept art]</ref>
{{-}}

[[File:TF-BB-Movie-Murderbee-Trailer-vs-Final-Cut.jpg|250px|thumb|"You see? You can't treat them
like equals! They're striped savages! Stinging's the only thing they know! ''It's their way!''"]]
Additional changes, some of which took place ''after'' the introduction of the film's Cybertron scenes, include:
*The first trailer to include Cybertron scenes featured Blitzwing among Shockwave's Seekers. In later trailers and the final film, he was replaced with Starscream, sporting his traditional color scheme and seemingly a new head lacking the 'flight mask' design motif.
*In a statement for Seibertron.com, Jon Bailey noted that he auditioned for [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]], suggesting the character was originally intended to have dialogue.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/bumblebee-movie-voice-actor-jon-bailey-talks-about-his-experience/42553/ Seibertron article on Bailey's experience]</ref> This was confirmed in a Seibertron.com podcast, in which he also said [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] was supposed to yell "Die Autobots!", in a slightly reworked version of his appearance. [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] was also supposed to say "Operation: Destruction" and/or "Operation: Annihilation" after ejecting [[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] as a direct reference to the original cartoon.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/twincast-podcast-episode-214-bumblebee/42674/ Seibertron.com Twincast Podcast Episode #214 "Bumblebee"]</ref>
*The Cybertron tower was supposed to look more [[Great Dome]]-like before opening up to display the launchpad, with concept art to boot, though it was cut for time.<ref name="ILM" />
*Optimus Prime was to have an extended role in the opening scene, having a Cybertronian vehicle mode, though it was cut for time. Concept art for a more Cybertronian robot mode and vehicle mode was created by [[Alex Jaeger]], though the film ultimately uses a model closer to his Earthen robot form.<ref name="ILM" />
*An additional render and a deleted scene depict Shatter and Dropkick inside Sector 7 with their car-only robot forms, indicating they may have been supposed to scan their aerial modes later in the film.<ref name="ILM" />
*Travis Knight initially wanted to feature Megatron during the Cybertron scenes. However, the Decepticon leader was ultimately omitted, specifically because continuity dictated he was still frozen on Earth at the time,<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/2018/12/19/bumblebee-deleted-megatron-decepticon-scene/ 'Bumblebee' Deleted A Megatron Scene] on comicbook.com</ref> despite the removal of the scene mentioned earlier showing this.
*When Bumblebee's memories are restored and he fights against Sector 7, his eye color is red, as opposed to the blue in the trailer (right).
*Very early stock art for the film depicted Bumblebee with his now-traditional "wings" formed from his car's doors alternate mode. This was changed late in production to give his final C.G. model a more humanoid appearance, but not early enough to change his [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|concurrently-released toys]], which almost unanimously depict Bumblebee with said door-wings.
*Shatter went under the working name '''[[Fracture (disambiguation)|Fracture]]'''.<ref name="ILM" />
{{-}}

==Notes==
*During production, the film was referred to in presentational material under a variety of names, including "Transformers 6", "Bumblebee: The Movie," "The Bumblebee Movie," and "Transformers Universe: Bumblebee."
*[[Hasbro Pulse]] occasionally refers to the movie as "Transformers: Bumblebee" or "Bumblebee Movie".<ref>[https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-studio-series-65-voyager-bumblebee-movie-blitzwing]
</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''''Bumblebee''''' (バンブルビー ''Banburubī'')
*''Arabic:'' '''''Bumblebee''''' (بامبلبي ''Bamblibi'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''''Daai Wong Fung''''' (大黃蜂, "Bumblebee")
*''Greek:'' '''''Bumblebee''''' (Μπάμπλμπι ''Bámplmpi'')
*''Hindi:'' '''''Bumblebee''''' (बुमबलेबी ''Bumabalebee'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''''ŰrDongó''''' ("Space Bumblebee")
*''Korean:'' '''''Bumblebee''''' (범블비 ''Beombeulbi'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Dàhuángfēng''''' (大黃蜂, 大黄蜂, "Bumblebee")
*''Russian:'' '''''Bumblebee''''' (Бамблби ''Bamblbi'')
*''Tamil:'' '''''Bumblebee''''' (பம்பல்பீ ''Pampalpī'')
*''Telugu:'' '''''Bumblebee''''' (బంబుల్బీ ''Bambulbī'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''''Bumblebee''''' (Бамблбі ''Bamblbi'')
*''Polish:'' '''''Bumblebee''''' (''Bumblebee '')
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 4]], 2019

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

==External links==
*{{w|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}} on Wikipedia
*[[IMDB:tt4701182|Bumblebee]] on IMDB

[[Category:Bumblebee| ]]
[[Category:Bumblebee media| ]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)

2025-08-02T11:06:20Z

Silverfoil:

{{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]]
|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]].

{{bigquote|Maximals...!}}
{{bigquote|Autobots...!}}
{{bigquote|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]] with the Transwarp Key and orders him to keep the artifact from Unicron. As Primal and his followers—including [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]], [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]], and [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]]—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; she is the only survivor of the group watching over one half. 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, Cheetor, and Rhinox, who, after a brief standoff that is defused by Airazor, agree to join forces with the Autobots. Optimus Primal explains that they entrusted their half of 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 to save Elena, while Noah makes an attempt to destroy their half of the Transwarp Key until Optimus convinces him to stand down. However, Scourge and the Terrorcons take advantage of the chaos to 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.

[[File:RotB-Optimusvsscourge.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|Across the galaxy, it has come to this, Optimus Primal. Face to face, tooth to claw, yes... have you anything to say?]]

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
* [[Double Punch (ROTB)#Studio Series|Double Punch]]es
* [[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; notably, in one particular interview, he called the film "a reboot for sure," only to walk the statement back ten seconds later, instead saying that one "could call it a reboot" in terms of starting point, reframing it instead as a "refresher" and a "new direction," that nonetheless preserved many elements of the earlier films.<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, while massive storm clouds appear to hide the appearance of Unicron from public view. 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 transforms into a {{w|Ducati}} motorcycle, like her ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' incarnation, and the design of her arms and deployable cannons seem to be directly inspired by her [[Arcee (WFC)|''Prime'' counterpart]].
* 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)#Beast Machines|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 a F1 car, a reference to [[Mirage (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]]'s alternate mode. He also turns into a Lamborghini Countach, which wasn't just a really cool 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]], as well as [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], in the same colors no less. He then turns into a Ferrari off-screen, 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". Doing so off-screen could be a poke at the difficulty Ferrari caused in getting their car on screen for ''Dark Of The Moon''.
* 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. This was confirmed on the special features for the blu-ray of the movie.
* 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''.

==Real-life references==
* When Noah is getting a cable box working, he tunes in to the 1992 film ''{{w|Juice (1992 film)|Juice}}''.
* 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 "[[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".
* Noah gives their address as 974 Wilson Avenue in Brooklyn. While the avenue in question exists in reality, the street numbers only reach the 600s.
* Kris attempts to comfort Noah after his unsuccessful interview by relating his struggle to [[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.
*There are quite a few distance shenanigans in the fight at the museum:
** 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.
** As Bumblebee powers down, Battletrap goes from standing on Optimus to right behind Scourge.
** Despite being close enough to drop Bumblebee's body in front of Optimus, when the shot cuts back to him Scourge is far back enough to take 4 steps closer to Optimus, and there is still enough space between him and Optimus for Airazor to safely separate the two with a wall of fire.
** When Airazor interrupts the fight, Battletrap and Nightbird are even further behind Scourge in the aerial shot, then are back to being right behind him when the shot changes.
* 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 wheel, meant to be inside 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.
* When Cheetor transforms, his spear tip floats for a few frames before reconnecting to the shaft.
* During the final battle, the line where Primal declares "We'll clear the way!" accidentally uses the scratch track recorded by David Sobolov rather than Ron Perlman's final VO. This led to some confusion among fans, who thought the line might have been spoken by Rhinox (who, despite Sobolov being credited for the role, is silent in the finished film), but Sobolov himself clarified the mix-up at a later convention panel.
* 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===
* When Scourge slams Optimus against a nearby obelisk, the impact (followed by Scourge punching Prime in the face) somehow doesn't damage the structure, at least until Scourge breaks it with his hands. It also disappears in the next shot of Optimus.
* 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.
* Nightbird and Battletrap, who were behind Scourge, are suddenly right behind Mirage after Optimus and Scourge begin fighting.
* 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 (which was incompatible with the original monochrome model anyway). The only ''Mario'' platformers released for Game Boy by 1994 were the ''Super Mario Land'' games, which featured different antagonists and music.
* The F1 car which Mirage briefly turns into is based on a design chassis that would be introduced at the very end of the 90s (at least [[1998]]/[[1999]]).
* 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.
* [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]] transforms into a Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33), a vehicle that wouldn't be introduced until January 1995. However, it could be possible she scanned a modified R33 coupe, given non GT-R models had already been released at this point.
* 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==
During the runup to the movie's theatrical release, star [[Tobe Nwigwe]], who portrays [[Reek]] in the film, collaborated with hip-hop mainstay Nas and Nigerian R&B artist Jacob Banks on the single "[[On My Soul]]", and released on [[May 19]], 2023. A remix of the song is featured during the climactic battle, though this particular mix has (sadly) not been released officially. Paramount also released a [[Transformers Rise of the Beats|Spotify-exclusive playlist]] featuring most of the 90s rap needle drops, including [[Wu-Tang Clan]], [[The Notorious B.I.G.]], and once again Nas, to name a few.

A score album, ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Music from the Motion Picture)]]'', was released to music streaming services on June 9, the same day as the film. An expanded vinyl edition of the score was later released on [[December 15]], featuring five bonus cues. Then, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of ''Rise of the Beasts'', a collection of pre-production music suites was compiled onto an album entitled ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Music That Inspired the Score)]]'', which was released on June 9th, [[2024]].

==Home video releases==
{{main|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)/home video}}
Just a month after its theatrical release, Paramount released ''Rise of the Beasts'' to digital storefronts on [[July 11]], with the DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray releases following a few months later on [[October 10]]. Bonus features include cast and crew featurettes and deleted/extended scenes.

==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 51% 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 other June releases; ''{{w|The Flash (film)|The Flash}}'', ''{{w|Elemental (2023 film)|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/ Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Breaks Unfortunate Franchise Record - ComicBook]</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. Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins described the film's performance as "not great, but good" and blamed its financial woes on an increasingly fractured global box office less receptive to American movies—especially in China, the franchise's biggest overseas market, where ''Rise of the Beasts''' gross of $90 million was only half of what Paramount had projected it to earn.<ref>[https://variety.com/2023/film/features/brian-robbins-paramount-pictures-tmnt-mutant-mayhem-tom-cruise-1235679142/ After a Decade in Limbo, Brian Robbins Is Giving Paramount a Makeover With ‘Ninja Turtles,’ Tom Cruise and ‘Gladiator 2’]</ref> It should be noted that ''Rise of the Beasts'' was a huge hit in [[Peru]], where the film's third act is set; it surpassed ''{{w|Avengers: Endgame}}'' as the highest-grossing movie ever in the country,<ref>[https://larepublica.pe/cine-series/2023/08/02/transformers-el-despertar-de-las-bestias-es-la-pelicula-mas-taquillera-de-la-historia-en-peru-transformers-7-machu-picchu-103204 'Transformers: el despertar de las bestias' es la película más taquillera de la historia en Perú]</ref> and Peru ranks as the fourth highest-grossing territory for the film, behind only the United States, China and Mexico.<ref>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr2443334149/ Rise of the Beasts International Numbers]</ref>

In 2024, ''Rise of the Beasts'' received no nominations for a {{w|Golden Raspberry Awards|Golden Raspberry Award}}. None whatsoever, including a {{w|Razzie Redeemer Award}}.<ref>[https://variety.com/2024/film/news/razzie-nominations-2024-chris-evans-jennifer-lopez-1235879949/ Razzie Noms 2024: Chris Evans and Jennifer Lopez Up for Worst Actors; ‘Shazam 2’ and ‘Ant-Man 3’ Tie With 4 Nods - Variety]</ref> Although {{w|Jimmy Kimmel}} wasn't too fond of the movie as he even poked fun at its questionable state during the opening monologue at the {{w|96th Academy Awards}}.<ref>[https://lamag.com/awards-watch/jimmy-kimmel-oscars-monologue-best-and-worst-jokes Viewers Pan Jimmy Kimmel’s Oscars Monologue: Best and Worst Jokes - LA Magazine]</ref>

==Development details==

[[File:TRANSFORMERS-2022.jpg|thumb|250px|This guy's got bearings of chrome steel.]]

* 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 for 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|I'd say that's PRIME! Let's do it!]]
* 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}}.<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.
* A scene was filmed of (in their truck modes) Optimus intercepting and ramming Scourge through a wall in Cuzco.<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2021/10/15/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-action-scene-between-autobots-terrocons-in-cuzco-explosions-443003 "Transformers Rise Of The Beasts – Action Scene Between Autobots & Terrocons In Cuzco & Explosions!"—TFW2005]</ref> No such sequence appeared in the final film, though a similar visual was used in one of [https://news.tfw2005.com/2023/05/08/even-more-new-transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-character-posters-482376 Optimus Prime's character posters], set on the mountain road instead.
* 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.
*According to concept artists [[Eddie Del Rio]] and [[Shane Baxley]] more [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] other than Scorponok were considered to have a role in the movie; known characters include: [[Waspinator (ROTB)|Waspinator]], [[:File:ROTBRamhorn.jpg|Ram]][[:File:15-Rise-Of-The-Beasts-Ramhorn-Concept-Art.jpg|horn]], [[:File:Snapper.jpg|Snapper]], [[:File:Retrax2.jpg|Retrax]], [[:File:Rise-Of-The-Beasts-Blackaracnia-Concept-Art.jpg|Blackarachnia]], [[:File:ROTBSpittor.jpg|Spit]][[:File:14-Rise-Of-The-Beasts-Spittor-Concept-Art.jpg|tor]] and [[:File:Rampage-face.jpg|Rampage]].
** However while development on the first six of them only got as far as rough sketches, it appears Rampage went pretty far into production before being scrapped, to the point where he was originally supposed to appear as [[:File:ROTB-Rampage-concept.jpg|a deceased corpse]] during the underground cavern sequence of the movie and [https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu44E6aoECC/ a full 360° CGI model] was even animated for the character.
* 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.eddiedelrio.com 3D 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]]. Instead it is directed by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]], who had been responsible for the dub of the original ''Beast Wars'' cartoon.

===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")
* ''Polish:'' '''''Transformers. Przebudzenie bestii''''' ("Transformers Beasts Aweakening")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 9]], 2023

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

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

Transformers: EarthSpark - Expedition

2025-08-02T11:02:36Z

Silverfoil:

{{Nav-earthspark}}

{{videogame
|title=''Transformers: EarthSpark - Expedition''
|image=Transformers EarthSpark Expedition cover.jpg
|developer=[[Tessera Studios]]
|publisher=[[Outright Games]] [[Bandai Namco Entertainment]] (Europe) [[Phoenixx]] (Japan)
|writer=[[Simon Furman]] [[Pere Suau Massanet]] [[Marcos Neila Muro]]
|date=NA/EU: [[October 13]], [[2023]] JP: [[July 11]], [[2024]]
|platform=[[Nintendo Switch]], [[PlayStation]] 4, PlayStation 5, [[Xbox]] One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
|ratings=ESRB: E10+ PEGI: 7+ CERO: A
}}

'''''Transformers: EarthSpark - Expedition''''' is a video game by [[Tessera Studios]], released on [[October 13]], [[2023]]. It is the first game based on the ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (franchise)|EarthSpark]]'' franchise, and is set between the first and second seasons of the [[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|cartoon]].

==Synopsis==
Some time after [[The Last Hope, Part 2|helping save all the Transformers on Earth]], [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] is ambushed by [[Arachnamech]]s, leading him and the Maltos to conclude [[Mandroid]] has somehow returned. After [[Alex Malto|Alex]] gives Bumblebee some refresher training at the farm, [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] calls them to confirm that the Arachnamechs have been tracked to a decommissioned [[G.H.O.S.T.]] base. Despite noting Optimus's demeanor as unusual, Bumblebee, Alex, and the [[Terran]]s leave to investigate. Upon arrival, the Terrans begin working to restore it so they can use it as a command post during the search for Mandroid, though one area remains curiously blocked off. The bots find an audio message left by Mandroid, confirming his survival. He announces his plan to build a robot army and excavate ancient Cybertronian technology, and challenges the listeners to stop him. Though they presume this to be a trap, Bumblebee agrees to go after Mandroid and takes the [[GroundBridge]] to the indicated coordinates.

As he arrives on the old canyon road, Bumblebee spots an active mining facility and begins dismantling Mandroid's operations by shutting down his massive Arachnadrills. While exploring, he runs afoul of [[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]], once again under the control of Mandroid, though the [[Decepticon]] is all to happy to try and pound Bumblebee into the pavement anyway. Bumblebee soundly defeats Skullcruncher, who warns that Mandroid has much worse plans for the little yellow [[Autobot]] than simple mind-control. Bumblebee eventually breaches Mandroid's lair, where Mandroid taunts him over one of the screens, confirming his latest plan to make the [[Transformer]] species extinct is already in motion. As Bumblebee explores, Optimus confirms that he will be unable to send additional support, as they are already struggling to contain the Arachnamech threat nationwide. Bumblebee eventually reaches the lair's sewers, where he is attacked by Skullcruncher again. Bumblebee narrowly emerges victorious and has Skullcruncher sent via GroundBridge to one of their base's holding cells. He eventually locates the Cybertronian tech Mandroid was seeking, a strange glowing cube that empowers him with Ancient Energon. Bumblebee can't shake the bad feeling he has, but agrees to bring it back anyway. Upon his return, Optimus confirms the cube to be part of an [[Energon Activator]], a prototype Decepticon weapon capable of generating a nuclear [[electromagnetic pulse]] to wipe out machine-based life, which the Autobots had split into parts and separated to prevent its use. Knowing two parts are unaccounted for, Optimus orders Bumblebee to Mandroid's next dig site.

Bumblebee next arrives in a jungle, where Mandroid has set up shop inside an old citadel. Bumblebee ponders whether Mandroid can even use the Activator with one of the parts in their possession, but Optimus warns of the chance that Mandroid could reverse-engineer the missing part by analyzing the others, and that they will need to collect all three parts to stop him. As Bumblebee destroys Mandroid's forces and enters the citadel, Mandroid once again taunts Bumblebee, claiming the Autobot doesn't yet understand the full scope of his plan. Bumblebee ventures further in, where he is ambushed by [[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]], who has once again fallen under Mandroid's control. Bumblebee eventually subdues Grimlock and bridges him back to one of the base cells for his own safety. Bumblebee grabs the Activator's second component, but he starts to wonder if this is all going a little too smoothly. Discussing it with Alex later, Bee continues to feel like something is wrong, with Alex noting how distracted Optimus has been. Determined to beat Mandroid to the last part, Bumblebee departs for the last mining site.

Bumblebee reaches the mining site atop a glacial mountain and begins eliminating Mandroid's troops, only to be ambushed by [[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] and [[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] during his search. Bumblebee forces the two [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] to retreat, and eventually makes it inside Mandroid's lair, where Mandroid announces that Bumblebee will be the one to help him achieve his goals. When Bumblebee reaches the lair's deepest interior, Skywarp and Nova Storm are waiting for him, ready for a rematch. Bumblebee takes them down and sends them to a cell before grabbing the final component, though he still feels as though things are unfinished.

When he returns, Alex confirms that the locked portion of the base has suddenly unlocked. When he opens the door, Bumblebee comes face to face with Optimus, [[energon-axe]] drawn. While Bumblebee stares in confusion, Optimus uses his command override to release the mind-controlled captives, who head straight for the Energon Activator components. Optimus declares his servitude to Mandroid and knocks Bumblebee out. When he comes to, he finds Optimus guarding the Energon Activator, in the process of being assembled. Mandroid appears, having uploaded his consciousness into a giant Arachnamech before his last encounter with Bumblebee and the others. With his mind control patches interfering with the Cybertronian-Spark Interface in the Activator and no body to obtain the components himself, Mandroid instead opted to mind-control Optimus and deceive Bumblebee into gathering them for him, using the other mind-controlled bots to give him ''just'' enough resistance that he wouldn't suspect anything. Drained of his Ancient Energon powers and unable to reach Alex, Bumblebee is left to fight Optimus and Mandroid alone. Grabbing the components, Bumblebee restores his new powers and destroys Mandroid's machinery, stopping the Energon Activator. Mandroid attempts to turn all of the mind-controlled bots against him, but Alex and the Terrans arrive using one of [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]]'s devices to disable the mind control patches. As Mandroid stews in his failure, Bumblebee fires a massive blast that destroys the giant Arachnamech.

In the aftermath, Optimus and the others thank Bumblebee for saving them all, with Optimus awarding him a Cybertronian Excellence Medal. [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] worries that Mandroid's AI escaped and may still return, but [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] believes that it had nowhere to escape to given the base's terrible reception. Though Bumblebee claims he'll miss the challenge, Alex reveals that he motion-captured everything and added it to the battle simulator for Bumblebee to practice against at any time, and the group all take a celebratory photo.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] ([[Joe Zieja]])
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Bill Rogers]])
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] ([[Barron Bass]])

|c2=
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]] (Barron Bass)
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] ([[Alex Cazares]])
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] (Alex Cazares)

|c3=
*[[Alex Malto]] ([[Alex Christian]])
*[[Robby Malto]] ([[Joshua Evans]])
*[[Mo Malto]] ([[Tunisia Hardison]])

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] ([[Farah Rishi]])
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] ([[Chris Long]])
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] ([[Lauren Weisman]])
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (Bill Rogers)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] ([[Aaron Landon]])

|h5=Mandroid forces||c5=
*[[Mandroid]]-[[Arachnamech]] (Bill Rogers)
*[[Mercenary (ES)|Mercenaries]]
*[[Gunner (ES)|Gunners]]
*[[Marauder (ES)|Marauders]]
*[[Brute (ES)|Brutes]]
*[[Guardian (ES)|Guardians]]
*[[Mystic]]s
*[[Arachnadrill]]s
}}

==Quotes==
"My self-esteem took a knock there." 
"Judging by those dents, that wasn't all." 
"And there was me thinking I couldn't feel any worse."
:—'''Bumblebee''' fails one of '''Thrash's''' challenges.

"Enough talk. I am rrr-ready to rumble! How about you?" 
"You bet, Jurassic!"
:—'''Grimlock''' and '''Bumblebee''' face off. (We see what you did there, Bee...)

==Gameplay==
''Transformers: EarthSpark - Expedition'' is a 3D action-adventure game with hack-and-slash elements, similar to ''[[Transformers: Devastation]]''. Players control Bumblebee, who can freely transform between vehicle and robot modes while exploring three different biomes: a Canyon Road, a Jungle Citadel, and a Glacial Mountain. By completing objectives across the map, such as eliminating targets and taking down enemy camps, Bumblebee will retake control of the area from Mandroid; once a certain level of control is taken, players will be able to access Mandroid's facility and challenge the area's boss. The [[Terran]]s can also be found around the map and will provide side missions for Bumblebee, such as a race or enemy gauntlet. Players will be given a gold, silver, or bronze rank at the end of each challenge, and will receive more rewards the better they perform. Various collectibles such as trading cards and Cybertronian glyphs can also be found scattered around each map.

When in combat, Bumblebee can use a mix of physical attacks and blaster fire to take down opponents, as well as perform defensive dodges. Continuous attacks will deplete the enemy's stun gauge; once empty, the enemy will be stunned and become more vulnerable to damage. While exploring, players will be able to return to the command post to modify and upgrade Bumblebee, practice in the training room, or travel to one of the three biomes. By defeating enemies and breaking boxes, players will collect scrap metal, which can be spent used to unlock attack combos, special attacks and abilities for Bumblebee on a skill tree. Bumblebee can also find or purchase consumable items for his inventory, including health kits that can restore his health and boost kits that can raise his attack or defense. Each time Bumblebee is infused with Ancient Energon from the Energon Activator components, he will gain a new traversal skill that allows him to reach previously inaccessible areas, encouraging players to backtrack and revisit each biome to get anything they missed. Bumblebee can also be customized with different horns and energy trails in vehicle mode, which can be purchased at the command post.

===Cheats===
Six special cheats can also be unlocked. Four are unlocked by entering a code in the game's "Cheat" menu, while the remaining two can only be earned by finding every collectible. All code letters use [[Alphabet#Generation 1 alphabets|Autobot alphabet]] characters, so use that for reference.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto"
!'''Cheat'''
!'''Unlock condition'''
|-
|Bobblehead Mode
|Enter the code "HEAD".
|-
|Special Collectible Card
|Enter the code "BEEE".
|-
|Extra Scrap
|Enter the code "BACH".
|-
|Bumblebee Banners
|Enter the code "BEAD".
|-
|Digital Mode
|Scan all Cybertronian glyphs.
|-
|8-Bit Mode
|Collect all trading cards.
|}

==Achievements==
When completing various goals and tasks during the game, the player will be rewarded as part of their console of choice's meta-goal system. Players can earn up to 24 Trophies on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and 23 Achievements on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The PlayStation versions' trophies come in four types: Bronze, which represent easier tasks and are worth the least experience; Silver, which are awarded for challenges of mid-level difficulty; Gold, which are given for harder tasks and worth more experience; and Platinum, the highest-level trophy unlocked only after earning all of a game's other trophies. On the Xbox versions, each achievement has a Gamerscore value that adds to the player's total Gamerscore across all games played; up to 1000 Gamerscore can be earned in ''Expedition''. These achievements can also be earned in the PC version as part of the Steam interface, but lack the individual values and weights from the console versions.

{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=5
! Achievement/Trophy name
! Achievement/Trophy description
! Gamerscore
! PS Trophy
! Achievement/Trophy name
! Achievement/Trophy description
! Gamerscore
! PS Trophy
|-
|Transform and roll out!
|Obtain all Trophies
|
|{{PS Platinum}}
|Canyon secured
|Open Mandroid's Lair in the Canyon
|45 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Silver}}
|-
|Canyon liberated
|Gain full control back in the Canyon
|50 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Gold}}
|Who needs a plumber?
|Defeat Skullcruncher
|45 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Silver}}
|-
|Citadel secured
|Open Mandroid's Lair in the Citadel
|45 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Silver}}
|Citadel liberated
|Gain full control back in the Citadel
|50 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Gold}}
|-
|Jurassic fight
|Defeat Grimlock
|45 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Silver}}
|Mountain secured
|Open Mandroid's Lair in the Mountain
|45 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Silver}}
|-
|Mountain liberated
|Gain full control back in the Mountain
|50 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Gold}}
|Double trouble
|Defeat Novastorm & Skywarp
|45 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Silver}}
|-
|And don't come back! (again)
|Defeat Mandroid and Optimus Prime
|50 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Gold}}
|Mission accomplished
|Save the day
|50 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Gold}}
|-
|Training started
|Purchase a new combo from the G.H.O.S.T. Base
|30 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Bronze}}
|All suited up
|Purchase all combos from the G.H.O.S.T. Base
|45 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Silver}}
|-
|Getting better
|Purchase a new skill from the G.H.O.S.T. Base
|30 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Bronze}}
|The best version of yourself
|Purchase all skills from the G.H.O.S.T. Base
|45 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Silver}}
|-
|I know kung fu
|Purchase a new special attack from the G.H.O.S.T. Base
|30 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Bronze}}
|Ready for the job
|Purchase all special attacks from the G.H.O.S.T. Base
|45 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Silver}}
|-
|New paint job
|Purchase a new trail from the G.H.O.S.T. Base
|35 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Bronze}}
|I want it all
|Purchase all trails from the G.H.O.S.T. Base
|45 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Silver}}
|-
|New hobby started
|Collect a card
|45 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Silver}}
|Avid collector
|Collect all cards
|50 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Gold}}
|-
|Amateur archeologist
|Decipher a Cybertronian Glyph
|35 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Bronze}}
|Lara... who?
|Decipher all Cybertronian Glyphs
|45 {{gamerscore}}
|{{PS Silver}}
|}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The game picks up an unspecified amount of time after the events of "[[The Last Hope, Part 2]]".
*Robby and Mo's roleplay with the Terrans during the first cutscene gives an abridged recap of the events of the show thusfar, particularly of "[[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]" and "The Last Hope, Part 2".
*[[Dot Malto]], [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]], [[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]], and [[Tarantulas (ES)|Tarantulas]] are mentioned during the story, but do not otherwise appear.
*[[Teletraan-1 (ES)|Teletraan-1]] is seen in the command post, but isn't referred to by name or treated as any different than a normal computer.
*Bumblebee references the previous times Skullcruncher and Grimlock were mind-controlled by Mandroid in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]" and "[[Home, Part 1]]" respectively. As acknowledged by Bumblebee, the victims were usually silent during previous instances, as opposed to this game where they are both communicative and seemingly aware of their own mind control.

===Transformers references===
*Bumblebee suggests that there's "more to Mandroid than, um...meets the optics". [[More than Meets the Eye (disambiguation)|Subtle]].
*The Mercenary enemy type is based on [[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]].
*Bumblebee refers to Mandroid's drones as "[[kitbash]] bots".
*When completing one of her missions, Twitch comments that Bumblebee has "[[the Touch]]". Bee furthers the reference by confirming he's "at [his] best, when the going gets rough".
*Bumblebee comments that Ancient Energon was the rumored "drink of choice" for the [[Thirteen|original 13 Primes]].
*Bumblebee's final line is "It's true what they say... [[Furmanism|it never ends!]]"
*The collectible Glyphs hidden throughout the biomes, after they've been deciphered, spell out quotes from various other series: [[The Transformers: The Movie|"Use the power of the Matrix to light our darkest hour"]], [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|"Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing"]], and [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3|"There's a thin line between being a hero and being a memory"]].

===Real-world references===
*One of the achievements is named "I know kung fu", quoting ''[[The Matrix]]''.
*Another achievement is named "Lara... who?" in reference to ''{{w|Tomb Raider}}'' protagonist ''{{w|Lara Croft}}''

===Continuity errors===
*The visuals during the Maltos' roleplay inadvertently implies Bumblebee to be one of the Terrans.

===Trivia===
*The existence of an ''EarthSpark'' game was first teased at [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2022]], but the game would not be fully revealed until June of the following year.
*None of the show's voice casts reprise their roles for the game in any language, though Bee's English voice actor [[Joe Zieja]] previously voiced [[Bumblebee (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|a different Bumblebee]] in the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' cartoon.
*Due to technical issues (and the complete lack of an Xbox market in the country), the game was only released on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC in Japan.<ref>https://www.famitsu.com/article/202407/10011</ref>

===Foreign localization===
'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Transformers: Iska Ziemi - Ekspedycja'''" ("Transformers: Spark Of Earth - Expedition")
:*''Release date:'' [[October 13]], 2023
:*The production at SIDE POLSKA recasted every character. The game and TV show don't share any voice actors

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Earthspark Expedition}}
[[Category:EarthSpark media]]
[[Category:Video games]]

Equal Measures

2025-08-02T10:55:29Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=4
|series2=BWJtoon
|ep2=4
|prev2=The Web
|next2=Chain of Command (BW)
|image=Equal Measures Cheetor darksyde.jpg
|caption=Later they discovered Cheetor was sitting on the self-destruct button.
|title="Equal Measures"
|season=1
|season ep=4
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[September 23]], 1996
|written by=[[Greg Johnson]]
|directed by=[[T.W. Peacocke]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
|packaged with=[[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Cheetor]], [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Megatron]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKS7w9FwR8g
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Dinobot manipulates both Maximals and Predacons around a teleporter that Cheetor has unintentionally developed between both bases.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] watches a bolt of lightning shatter a mountain, revealing a cache of [[energon]]. Because of the hazardous conditions, he radios to his team to abort their current operation. The storm garbles the transmission, though, preventing the other [[Maximal]]s from receiving it.

[[File:Dinobotbulliescheetor.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Something we've seen all too often.]]
The mission involves [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] monitoring devices designed by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], who has just gotten done building the last of them. Impatient to get going, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] carelessly plays with one of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s projects, a ''time bomb'', and accidentally drops it out the floor hatch... where it's caught by a returning Optimus, who reiterates his order for the mission to be scrubbed. Everyone's clearly upset over the development, not believing the storm to be that severe yet, but Primal is adamant; it'll have to wait until later. Dejected, everyone returns to quarters to wait out the storm.

In Cheetor's quarters, Dinobot meets with the cat-bot and endorses the mission being continued regardless of the danger from the weather and the energon. He points out that Primal clearly treats Cheetor like a child, even though with his speed, the cat-bot could easily outrun the storm and plant the devices before it hits. This appeal to vanity works, and Cheetor sneaks out to complete the mission.

[[File:Equal Measures Cheetor monitoring device.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|This wireless Broadband box is rubbish!]]
In the field, Cheetor plants survey apparatuses in quick succession, but a bolt of lightning causes the cat accidentally to plant one of the posts dangerously close to an energon vein. He tries to remove the device and correct his mistake, but in the middle of his struggle, a second lightning bolt hits, and he finds himself suddenly teleported — onto a control panel in the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]]!

[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] "welcomes" Cheetor and attacks the Maximal, but Cheetor grabs a hover-platform and tries to escape. After being knocked off the platform, Cheetor lunges at Terrorsaur and pushes the Predacon onto the control panel he'd just arrived on, causing Terrorsaur to vanish. [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] arrive and chase Cheetor around the Predacon base, but lose him in the ventilation shafts.

[[File:Cheetorsurprised.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Shouldn't have had the vindaloo last night.]]
Meanwhile, Terrorsaur finds himself in the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' command center, where he's given a warm reception by Dinobot. However, the former Predacon is more concerned over how Terrorsaur arrived at the Maximal base, eventually working out that a freak combination of the survey devices, the storm, and the energon created a transporter link between the two bases. Using this to his advantage, Terrorsaur seems to convince Dinobot into forming an alliance, suggesting they scrap the Maximals, then take over the Predacons and rule together... until Dinobot drops the charade and unceremoniously flushes the Pred out of the ''Axalon'' through a waste disposal unit.

Back at the Predacon base, Cheetor continues to flee while avoiding fire from Waspinator. He sneaks away from the two long enough to hack the Predacons' data files, and determines that both bases sit on a common underground Energon vein, so an explosion at one base would cause a chain reaction that would obliterate both ships. Cheetor is discovered as soon as he downloads this data to a disk.

At the Maximal base, Optimus confronts Dinobot on Cheetor's whereabouts. Dinobot tells him about the link and how the cat-bot has "surely" been destroyed by now, but convinces him that they could use the link to annihilate the Predacon base with the bomb, a plan Primal only agrees to as long as the bomb's timer is set with enough time to allow the Preds to evacuate. Just as the bomb is sent, though, Cheetor tosses the disk with the energon vein data onto the console, transporting both items simultaneously.

[[File:Crispyterrorsaur.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Would you like me original, or extra crispy?]]
The Predacons finally corner Cheetor, but the bomb has magnetically locked itself onto the Pred console, forcing Megatron to let him go so he can release it. With a few seconds left, Cheetor throws it up to Terrorsaur, who flies it out of the base (and is blown up with it), while Cheetor escapes through the link. The Predacons' errant shots destroy the console instead. Furthermore, his return trip to the ''Axalon'' shatters all of the survey posts he's planted, ensuring the link is severed for good.

Afterwards, Rhinox and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] congratulate Cheetor's prevention of the Maximal base from being destroyed by their own explosive, while Dinobot is in a bad mood as usual and leaves—though Cheetor apparently didn't tell anyone that Dinobot talked him into the whole thing. Primal still commands Cheetor to take more care to obey direct orders. Cheetor says he will—except when he doesn't—and scampers off, leaving Optimus steamed up with Rhinox and Rattrap to have a jolly laugh. But Optimus figures out Cheetor was funny, and gets in the jolly laugh with Rhinox and Rattrap.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (1)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (2)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (3)
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (4)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (5)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (6)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (7)
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (8)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"Defeating them does not mean we have to ''annihilate'' them. You seem to have trouble understanding that."
:—'''Optimus''' gently chides Dinobot for thinking like a Predacon.

"Shoulda known no Maximal'd be stupid enough to try anything on a day like this."
:—'''Terrorsaur''' underestimates the enemy again.

"YOOOOOW, BULLET TRAAAAAAAIN..." 
''[An explosion sends Cheetor crashing into the wall!]'' 
"Comin' through." 
:—'''Cheetor''' narrowly escapes being turned into a charbroiled cheetah!

"Cheetor! Maximi— did that already."
:—'''Cheetor''' forgets that he already transformed.

"He's gone into the vents! You better report this to Megatron." 
"Me?! ''You're'' second-in-command!" 
"So make it an order!"
:—'''Scorponok''' and '''Waspinator''' establish the chain of command.

"Where'd he go?! Where'd ''I'' go?"
:—'''Terrorsaur''' realises he isn't in [[Kansas]] any more.

"Think of the cosmic magnificence. Together we'll overthrow these low-grade metal knock-offs you've joined, and then rule the Predacons with two iron fists! NOTHING CAN STOP US!"
:—'''Terrorsaur''' has such naive optimism.

"Hey! What are you doing? We're partners!" 
"In case you had not realized, Needlenose... I am ''not'' a team player."
:—'''Terrorsaur''', about to get launched over the horizon by '''Dinobot'''

"OK, OK, I'll never do that again! Until the next time."
:—'''Cheetor''' has learned nothing from this adventure.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* In the opening shot, a segment of the mountains on the screen's left side reveals a gap in the mountain's computer model just a few frames before the shot cuts.
* The collapsing mountain seems to be sucked into the Energon cache after being hit with lightning, and before the lightning strikes, there's a bizarre flickering texture on the mountain's right side.
* Following the collapse, some energon crystals within the mountain keep flickering in and out of existence.
* When Cheetor walks over to the bomb, the two [[kibble]] panels on his back keep clipping through his cheetah leg kibble, and they don't seem to move together with the rest of his torso. When the bomb drops and he moves about, the panels remain stationary.
* When Optimus is tossing the time bomb in one hand, it really doesn't move convincingly.
* When Rhinox reacts to Optimus' announcement about being stalled, his rhinoceros skin "skirt" is clipping into his thighs.
* Shadows are inconsistently rendered in the beginning scene in the Maximal base. Rhinox, standing behind Rattrap, is fully lit at first, but at the end of the scene, there's a shadow cast over him.
* The shot of Cheetor descending out of the base, as the "camera" spins around him, is rendered very oddly. Parts of the ''Axalon'' that look like they should be behind the cliff face appear in front of it, and as Cheetor dashes away, he overlaps a metal bar that's much closer to view.
* As Cheetor jumps across the rocks, his feet don't always touch the terrain.
* Cheetor's mouth doesn't move as he shouts "Maximize!" while out in the field.
* Before Cheetor turns into [[robot mode]], he has red eyes as a cheetah. When his beast model is replaced with his mid-transformation model mid-movement, his eyes turn green and his spots rearrange themselves between frames. After he goes back into cheetah mode a few seconds later, the cheetah model again has red eyes and a different spot-arrangement, both of which change yet again as the lightning strikes near him.
* When Cheetor activates the first survey post, his left thumb clips into his chest.
* The little red bit on the top of the first survey post that Cheetor plants keeps blinking in and out of existence. While this might have been on purpose, to simulate a blinking light, none of the other posts do this.
* Cheetor doesn't really grab the Energon post's handle, his fist simply clips through it.
* When the lightning-bolt strikes him, you can tell by his shadow that Cheetor is actually floating a few inches above the ground.
* When Terrorsaur floats closer to the monitor screen on his platform, the tip of his right wing passes between the platform and his foot.
* As he reaches for his gun while dangling from the Predacons' flying platform, Cheetor's left elbow briefly turns inside-out.
* In one shot, when Terrorsaur is shooting at Cheetor's platform, the reflection textures on his grey elements near his gun disappear in sync with his blasts, due to the blast effects somehow "blotting them out". Strangely, this error doesn't occur in his closeup shortly thereafter.
* When Scorponok and Waspinator transform into robot mode, the latter already has various robot parts sticking out of him in his wasp form. Both his beast and robot mode abdomens exist at the same time, his robot crotch is poking through his underside and one of his robot legs is sticking out of his behind. Also, the stripes on his thighs are aligned the wrong way, a common error in early episodes.
* When Cheetor transforms to [[beast mode]] to jump into the vent, his various robot and beast parts all seem to appear and disappear randomly, out of sync with his usual transformation.
* Scorponok's eyes are weirdly distorted as he arrives to the vent. Also in this shot, Waspinator's left wings don't seem to "flap up", only down.
** In addition, Scorponok's visor shifts between yellow and red quite randomly, as it often happens in most episodes.
* Though a common cartoon convenience, both Waspinator's repeated shots and Scorponok's missile take an inordinately long time to reach Cheetor, and the distances between them jump back and forth between shots.
* As Cheetor hurries through the vent, none of the holes Waspinator has blasted into it are visible.
* After Cheetor escapes from the vents, he falls to the ground and his right forehead chevron kind of "twangs" forward. In the next scene he's in, it's back to normal against his head.
* Before Terrorsaur begins pruning his wing, the right side of his pterosaur chest appears to be sunken into his body.
* Scorponok's right claw is clipping though his thigh as he and Waspinator watch the missile chase Cheetor.
* Just before Optimus comes into frame to ask Dinobot about the survey posts, his fingers are visible at the left of the screen as the camera swivels.
* When Optimus asks Dinobot if he's sure about the bomb's timer, his right arm seems to jump position between frames.
* Two green bits are clipping through the opening hatch on the Predacon ship on either side.
* As the roasted Terrorsaur lands, his leg briefly clips through his wing.
* When Cheetor is zapped back home, blowing up all survey posts along the way, the posts are replaced by noticeably thicker, different-shaped exploding objects a few frames before they're supposed to blow.

===Continuity errors===
* A major plot point is that due to an energon vein running beneath both ships, the destruction of either Predacon or Maximal bases would destroy the other. This is never mentioned again and frequently contradicted due to the repeated explosions at both. While most of the planet's energon was stabilized by the start of Season 2 (and thus wouldn't be an issue), the plot of Season 1 episode "[[Victory (episode)|Victory]]" revolves around... a massive explosion at the Predacon base. Arguably, either side could have harvested some of the energon by then to sever the connection between the bases, but this is never established!
* Despite making a big deal about how they should be killing Predacons when they get the chance, Dinobot doesn't avail himself of the opportunity when he's alone with Terrorsaur, instead harmlessly firing him out of the ship.
* When trying to outrun the explosion chasing him down the vents, for some reason Cheetor decides to transform to his [[robot mode]], even though it's been strongly implied that he's faster in beast mode.

===Continuity notes===
* The weather on prehistoric Earth appears to be ''extremely'' destructive. Two bolts of lightning cause a mountain to implode. This might have something to do with the abundant energon, although there's nothing in the show to back this up.
* This is the first episode where we get to hear Terrorsaur speak (Besides "Terrorsaur, terrorize!" that is). It's also the first time he is shown to be the series' resident [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], possessing a flight-based alternate mode and already plotting behind his leader's back.

===Real-world references===
* Cheetor name-drops the Tom Jones song, [[w:What's New Pussycat? (song)|"What's New Pussycat?"]] as an expression. This reference would later be said again in "[[The Spark]]" and "[[The Trigger, Part 1]]" back to back.
* The cheetah silhouette poster hanging over Cheetor's bed reads "RESTRICTED" in [[Cybertronix]], a reference to the "[https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/motion-picture-ratings/restricted-cougar/| Restricted Cougar]" that appeared on R-rated films in [[British Columbia]] from 1960 to 1996.

===Trivia===
* When Cheetor appears before him, Terrorsaur greets him thus: "Welcome to the dark side!" The episode script reveals that this was simply Terrorsaur being dramatic. As it was in response to Cheetor wondering if he had died and come to the afterlife, Terrorsaur was basically messing with him by saying a more colorful (and kid-friendly) version of "Welcome to Hell!" However, because [[fandom|Transformers fans]] can be ''incredibly'' literal, some fans speculatively latched on to the idea that Terrorsaur was welcoming Cheetor to the "''Dark Side''", supposedly giving the Predacon ship/base a proper name. This bit of [[fanon]] was subsequently made official by the video game ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (PS)|Beast Wars Transmetals]]''. Years later, the ship's name was further codified by the [[BotCon 2006]] story "[[Dawn of Future's Past]]", which dodged [[trademark]] issues by giving it the intentional misspelling "[[Darksyde (BW)|Darksyde]]". This is what happens when fans are allowed to run things. Seriously.
* This episode marks the finalization of most of the Maximals' voices; Cheetor loses most of his whine, Rhinox gains a more expressive range, and Dinobot sounds a fair bit deeper.
* Plenty of alternate transformation schemes in this episode. Most of Cheetor's transformations involve his cheetah mode splitting in two through the middle (even the tail), and his cheetah head flipping down to be the chest of a fully-formed robot that's curled up within this beast "shell", already wearing most of his beast kibble. Dinobot also shows off a pair of transformations radically different from – and even more cheaty than – his normal one.
* Waspinator speaks in first-person in this episode.
* Just prior to its debut in syndication, this episode was made available on DirecTV on a pay-per-view basis beginning on [[August 19]], 1996.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dos à Dos'''" ("Back to Back")

:*''Title:'' "'''Dos à Dos'''" (Canada, "Back to Back")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Im gleichen Boot'''" ("In the Same Boat")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 25|25 April]] [[1998]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Pari opportunità per i Biocombat'''" ("Equal Opportunities for the Biocombats")
::*Terrorsaur's line: «Welcome to the dark side!» is changed to: «Welcome in the wolf's den!» («Benvenuto nella tana del lupo!» in Italian). If any Italian ever thought the name of the ship was ''Tana del Lupo'' ("Wolf's Den") is unknown.

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jigen Bakudan Tensō Sakusen!'''" (時限爆弾転送作戦!, "Operation: Time Bomb Transfer!")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 22|22 October]] [[1997]]
::*Terrorsaur's line, "Welcome to the dark side!" was rendered as "Yōkoso, kaku!" meaning "Welcome, stranger!" (with plenty of ''caw caw caw'' noises added to the end, as is Terrorsaur's vocal tic in Japan). Thus, any silly ambiguity as to the proper noun status of his line is eliminated (not that it would matter, as the Predacon's ship received an official name in Japan long before it got one in the West: "Terror Crasher").

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Równe szanse'''" ("Equal Chances") - Canal + dub
:*''Original airdate (dub):'' [[June 10]], 1997

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Medidas Iguais'''" ("Equal Measures")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Medidas Equitativas'''" (America, "Equal Measures")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Yī Mài Xiàng Lián '''" (一脉相连, "In One Vein")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1997 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Cheetus' Crisis ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 1 ([[Universal]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 2 ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Maximal Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season (Rhinomation) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Chain of Command (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes — Where the Beasties Began! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[Category:Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Pack-in material]]

Transformers One (film)

2025-08-02T10:53:24Z

Silverfoil:

{{Nav-one}}
{{movie|
|seriess=Transformers One
|prev=
|next=
|title=''Transformers One''
|image=Transformers One New Theatrical Poster.jpg
|caption=The motion picture you are about to see is an adaptation of the [[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]] story. While artistic and historical license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values, and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for [[fandom|millions of people worldwide]].
|production companies=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura|di Bonaventura Pictures]] Bayhem Films [[Paramount Animation]] New Republic Pictures
|distributor=[[Paramount Pictures]]
|executive producer=[[Steven Spielberg]] [[Zev Foreman]] [[Olivier Dumont]] [[Brian Oliver]] [[B.J. Farmer]] [[Matt Quigg]] [[Greg Moordain]]
|producer=[[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] [[Tom DeSanto]] [[Don Murphy]] [[Michael Bay]] [[Mark Vahradian]] [[Aaron Dem]]
|story by=[[Andrew Barrer]] [[Gabriel Ferrari]]
|screenplay by=[[Eric Pearson]] Andrew Barrer Gabriel Ferrari
|directed by=[[Josh Cooley]]
|cinematography by=
|edited by=
|music by= [[Brian Tyler]]
|release date=[[September 20]], [[2024]]
|runtime=104 minutes
|budget= $75 million
|box office=$129 million<ref>https://the-numbers.com/movie/Transformers-One-(2024)#tab=summary</ref>
|credits=Transformers One (film)/credits
}}
'''''Transformers One''''' is an animated film released on [[September 20]], [[2024]]. It is written by [[Eric Pearson]], [[Andrew Barrer]], and [[Gabriel Ferrari]] from a story by Barrer and Ferrari,<ref name="deadlinereveal">[https://deadline.com/2015/09/transformers-writers-room-akiva-goldsman-transformers-5-1201531918/ 'Transformers' Writers Room Wraps] on Deadline</ref> and directed by [[Josh Cooley]].<ref name="cooleyreveal">[https://deadline.com/2020/04/transformers-animated-movie-paramount-hasbro-toy-story-4-director-josh-cooley-1202921100/ Animated 'Transformers' Prequel Activated; 'Toy Story 4's Josh Cooley To Direct For Hasbro/eOne & Paramount]</ref> The movie is an origin story set on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] three billion years ago<ref name="collidercinemacon">[https://collider.com/transformers-one-animated-movie-title/ New ‘Transformers’ Animated Movie Rolls Out a New Title at CinemaCon] on Collider</ref><ref name="screenrantsandiegocomiccon">[https://screenrant.com/transformers-one-timeline-setting-takes-place// When Transformers One Takes Place In The Franchise Timeline] on Screen Rant</ref> in the days before the Autobot-Decepticon war, and focuses on [[Optimus Prime (One)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (One)|Megatron]] as they go from brothers-in-arms to enemies.<ref name="cooleyreveal" />

{{bigquote|The line between friend and enemy is not as clear as I once believed. Once it's crossed, there is no going back. Because some transformations... are permanent.|[[Optimus Prime (One)|Optimus Prime]]}}

==Synopsis==
Long ago, the benevolent [[Primus]] sacrificed his life essence to become the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and created the [[Thirteen|first generation of Transformers]], the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]s. Through the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]], [[energon]] flowed freely from the planet's core, and the Primes ruled justly for a time. However, when the alien [[Quintesson]]s began a long war of invasion, the Primes were eventually slain, and the Matrix of Leadership was lost, leaving only [[Sentinel Prime (One)|Sentinel Prime]] to rule the planet in their absence after the Cybertronians relocated to massive underground cities, abandoning the dangerous surface.

[[File:TFOne Orion caught.jpg|left|thumb|300px|She's exhausted from the day's work. Uh, not that it was too much! We-we quite enjoyed it!]]
Fifty cycles after the war, Cybertronian society now relies on an [[Cogless|underclass]] of manual laborers born without [[transformation cog]]s, including a caste of miners who physically extract what few veins of usable energon remain from the tunnels beneath the subterranean [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] City, while Sentinel Prime makes periodic journeys to the surface in search of the missing Matrix. One impulsive miner named [[Optimus Prime (One)|Orion Pax]] has been searching for information regarding the Matrix, in the hopes that finding the artifact will restore Cybertron to prosperity and allow him and his fellow miners to choose their own path in life. Unfortunately, this search for information has led him to repeatedly break into the city's data archives without authorization. His latest attempt draws the unwanted attention of two [[Guard (One)|guards]] who have caught him several times in the past already, leading to a wild (and nearly lethal) chase through the skyways, through buildings, and eventually into the ground-level public transport station. Though the guards eventually catch up to Orion, the miner's friend [[Megatron (One)|D-16]] provides a distraction and sends the guards off on a wild goose chase. On the train to work, the pair discuss Orion's latest life-endangering adventure, and Orion, knowing that his friend idolizes the strongest Prime, gifts D-16 a rare first-edition decal of [[The Fallen|Megatronus Prime]]'s helmet he'd found.

[[File:TFOne Mine Explosion.jpg|right|thumb|300px|We're trying to get the funny man out of the well!]]
In the mines, D-16 and Orion work under the supervision of their go-getting captain [[Elita-1 (One)|Elita-1]], using [[jet pack]]s and deployable support poles to keep Cybertron's shifting geology stable long enough for them to extract raw energon. However, [[Wheeljack (One)|Wheeljack]] accidentally hits a vein of unstable energon, and the ensuing explosions trap [[Jazz (One)|Jazz]] under a rockfall. Orion and D-16 defy protocol and use a jet pack to save their coworker, but the chaos ends up damaging and destroying a lot of mine equipment. One of the mine's guards, [[Darkwing (One)|Darkwing]], blames Elita for the disaster, and informs her she's been demoted to waste management duty, despite Orion sticking up for her and taking the blame.

That evening, Sentinel Prime returns to Iacon to announce that he still has not found the Matrix; to take the blow off this bad news, Sentinel declares that the prestigious [[Iacon 5000]] race will be held the next day. Orion tries to persuade D-16 to join him in the race, hoping that they can prove to the rest of Cybertron that mining bots deserve respect, but D-16 has no interest in the idea. On the day of the race, Orion discreetly leads D-16 to the maintenance area inside the giant starting signal above the race's starting line; while D-16 is initially excited to watch from a perfect vantage point, Orion reveals his true intention as he straps jet packs to the two just as the race begins and they're dropped into the thick of a throng of racing robots. Using their jet packs and some quick thinking to compensate for their inability to transform, the two dodge the numerous traps and obstacles and briefly manage to take the lead, sending bots across the city into a frenzy, especially their fellow cogless miners. The pair are just about to limp across the finish line and take first place, but end up being run down by [[Chromia (One)|Chromia]], who snags victory for herself. The pair figure they can still be proud of second place... until several dozen other racers whip by them in vehicle mode.

[[File:TFOne Sentinel visits.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I seek to build an empire, and your only goal is to amuse yourselves by tearing it down. Have I taught you nothing?]]
In Iacon's medical center, where many, many racers have ultimately ended up, Sentinel Prime meets with Orion and D-16; the pair are immediately certain they are in ''massive'' trouble, especially when they're scanned by Sentinel's creepy aide [[Airachnid (One)|Airachnid]] before his arrival, but it turns out it's quite the opposite. Sentinel ''loved'' their little stunt, and tells them that the miners' productivity after that showing was already at 150%. Sentinel offers them a chance to tour the mines and help inspire their comrades to work harder, with promises of some pampering along the way, and the pair quickly agree. However, Darkwing arrives before Airachnid can escort them to Sentinel's private quarters; infuriated that he nearly lost the race to the pair after they humiliated him, he drags them to the planet's fiftieth sub-level (ten levels below what they ''thought'' was the lowest level of the planet) and locks them in a trash incineration station.

The two bots soon meet the eccentric and exceptionally talkative [[Bumblebee (One)|B-127]], who has been trapped at the job of "look at garbage and take anything of value out before it's burned" for years, with only garbage statues for "company". When one of B's pals "[[Steve (One)|Steve]]" utters some electronic gibberish, Orion accidentally beheads the "bot", but discovers within the wreckage an old beacon from the Quintesson war, still broadcasting a set of coordinates located somewhere on the planet's surface. Orion, B-127, and D-16 decide to investigate, escaping the only way they can: by climbing up the dump chute. Ew. The trio stow away aboard an automated surface-bound garbage train but coincidentally encounter Elita-1, who now works the refuse line. She handily clobbers the three but ends up locked in the train with them as it departs. She heads for the front, intending to report them to security, a mad dash that gets all the harder as the train starts moving vertically towards its destination. She manages to pop a hatch and make it out of the train, and the trio gives chase, but all four are stopped cold as they're enveloped in light and they find themselves traveling along Cybertron's surface.

The four are stunned by the planet's natural beauty, only to become horrified as said natural beauty starts violently heaving upwards behind them, tearing up the self-building rail and scattering train cars. They run for it but are thrown off, waking in just enough time to completely miss another train, the rail un-building behind it. Elita is furious, but agrees to join Orion's search for the Matrix, on the conditions that 1) she's in command, 2) she holds the map, and 3) if the quest turns out to be a wild goose chase, then the other three will turn themselves in for their idiotic plan and paint her in a very positive light to the authorities. Orion very quickly agrees, and the four head off, confused by the weird not-metal life growing on the surface. They spy a group of [[Robo-deer|robotic quadrupedal lifeforms]], which suddenly snap to attention and run for it as the ground begins to tremble. It's soon apparent the cause of their panic: a massive Quintesson spaceship! As the ship scans for any lifeforms (obliterating one of the Cybertronian fauna with a massive cannon blast when it ends up in the tracking beams), the four barely evade detection and the ship moves on.

[[File:TransformersOne-AlphaTrionTransformationCogs.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|Take the staff in your hand, Moses. With it, you shall do My wonders.]]
Soon they find themselves at the end of the map's trail, a [[Mouth of Unicron|hidden and extremely creepy cave]]. Inside they find a scene of absolute horror: the spot where the ancient Primes made their final stand against the Quintessons, their bodies lying broken and covered in overgrowth. Although the Matrix is nowhere to be found, Orion discovers that [[Alpha Trion]]'s spark still pulses and uses an [[energon cube]] provided by B to revive him. The four attempt to bring Trion up to speed on recent events, but their mention of "Sentinel Prime" causes Trion to reveal the terrible truth: Sentinel is an imposter, a traitorous aide who led the Primes into a Quintesson ambush in exchange for "ruling" Cybertron under the invaders' command. However, when Sentinel tried to claim the Matrix after prying it from [[Zeta Prime (One)|Zeta Prime]]'s corpse, the artifact judged him unworthy and disappeared. To appease his new masters, Sentinel has deliberately stolen transformation cogs from newborn Transformers to keep them producing energon in the mines; at Trion's urging, the four emerge from the cave to witness Sentinel pledging servitude to the [[Quintesson High Commander]] and learn the city's garbage trains are actually transporting Cybertron's dwindling energon supplies to Quintesson ships, leaving barely enough for the people of Cybertron. These revelations leave the bots horrified, but D-16 takes it the worst of all, having also looked up to Sentinel for years. Alpha Trion decides to give the team hope by gifting them the transformation cogs from four of the fallen Primes, as well as a recording of Sentinel's treachery. However, Airachnid spotted the four when they were watching Sentinel's meeting with the Quintessons, and a squad of Sentinel's [[Tracker]]s arrive. Despite his disrepair, Alpha Trion uses his leonine alternate mode to wipe out the squad, allowing Orion and the others to escape, but is quickly incapacitated by Airachnid.

The four bots have a very rocky time learning to transform in the middle of fleeing a squad of Trackers, tumbling downhill with only ''parts'' of them shifting into their new vehicle modes, but desperation forces them to adapt ''very'' quickly. Each one finds new abilities and an aptitude for combat, and soon they're able to destroy their pursuers. Overjoyed at their victory, they make the plan to use the incriminating information Trion gave them by returning to Iacon and exposing Sentinel as a traitor. In their excitement, they fail to notice a Tracker about to shoot them from behind until D-16 uses his new tank mode to kill him first... and then starts laughing at what he just did. D-16 snatches the evidence and takes the lead, his ever-growing intensity and openly stated desire to kill Sentinel leaving Orion more and more unnerved.

Back in Iacon, Alpha Trion is brought before Sentinel, who mocks the "old-timer" and gloats about his station, complaining to Airachnid about the Primes' stuffiness and boring speeches. Trion's word of warning that Sentinel's time will soon be over only annoys the false Prime further, and in a fit of rage he kills the ancient Prime before sending Airachnid back to the surface to hunt down the wayward miners.

[[File:TFoneStarscreamSoundwaveShockwaveInterrogation.jpg|left|thumb|300px|You're playing with the big boys now!]]
Along the path to Iacon, a series of shots ring out, and each bot slips into stasis... Orion and the others are brought back online, bound (and gagged in B's case) as prisoners of the former members of Cybertron's [[High Guard]], who have been fighting a guerrilla war against Sentinel ever since the fall of the Primes, led by [[Starscream (One)|Starscream]]. Orion tries to form an alliance with them, but the fifty cycles of conflict have radicalized the High Guard to value strength above all else. Unimpressed and giving into his growing rage, D-16 challenges Starscream's authority, and the two quickly end up in a brawl. While Starscream plays it tough even as D-16 crushes his neck and damages his speech module, his attitude soon changes as D-16 manifests a massive cannon on his arm, aimed directly at Starscream's head. The Guard quickly rallies behind their new leader, ready to take the fight to Sentinel... but Airachnid's forces arrive and ambush them.

[[File:TFOne Airachnid attacks.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Not much of a snake-charmer, are you?]]
Orion, having been buried in the battle, awakens when Elita drags him from the rubble to find that D-16, B-127, and much of the Guard have been taken prisoner, and the data crystal containing the evidence of Sentinel's betrayal has been shattered. Orion despairs, believing their quest to be hopeless now, but Elita won't have it. Though she's still not above taking some digs at Orion, she points out that it is the bot's endless ''optimism'' that makes him a true leader, one that can make bots do amazing (and occasionally amazingly ''stupid'') things. Orion takes the praise (and insults) and decides it's time to rally, and the two quickly formulate a plan; the Guard may be strong, but the last battle proved they aren't enough on their own, they need a true army... and Orion knows exactly where to get one. After Elita quickly shuts down any dissent from the remaining Guard (thanks to a very swift punch to [[Shockwave (One)|Shockwave's]] eye), Orion primes the warriors for the coming battle, with a cry of "''[[Roll out|Transform and ROLL OUT]]!''"

The captives have been brought to [[Hall of Primes|Sentinel's tower]], where the puppet leader gloats over them, mocking Starscream's scrambled voice and sneering at D-16. But the miner does not cower or balk at all, declaring that he is not afraid of Sentinel, as he has nothing left to lose. Noticing the worn Megatronus decal, Sentinel reveals that he took Megatronus's transformation cog when he killed him, ripping the decal from the miner's arm before slapping it back onto his chest... and then, knocking the miner on his back, using a mining tool to crudely ''carve'' the Prime's face into D-16's chest.

Orion uses his new form to rocket-glide into the depths of Iacon City, entering the miners' quarters (and bodily hurling Darkwing aside in the process). Orion reveals the truth to the miners and rallies them to join forces with the High Guard and rebel against Sentinel's regime. Meanwhile, Elita, Shockwave, and [[Soundwave (One)|Soundwave]] have commandeered a returning "garbage" train, transporting the Guard into the city in a sneak attack. But the sudden appearance of hundreds of Trackers makes things look very bad for the plan... until Orion and the miners leap into the fray and cut a swath through the incoming horde, armed with their jet packs and mining tools. Airachnid attempts to kill Orion, slamming him into the train engine, and revealing the ''incredibly horrifying'' array of optics hidden in the back of her head. But her multi-scanning abilities give Orion a sudden idea as the train plows towards Sentinel's tower.

[[File:TFOneSentinelvsD16.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I will not be dictated to. I will not be threatened. I am the morning and the evening star. I am Pharaoh!]]
Sentinel, angered as D-16 once again attempts to rise up, is just about to blow the miner's head off when the train slams into his tower. Soundwave frees the prisoners and the fight spills across the city. Sentinel transforms into combat mode, but D-16 will not be deterred, the two launch into battle. Elita leaps into action, tackling Airachnid and attempting to take her prisoner (with only ''some'' gratuitously satisfying pummeling along the way). She drags the semi-conscious bot to one of Iacon's broadcast stations, and B makes a ''very'' over-enthusiastic entrance. Airachnid's memory banks are quickly scanned, and her memories of Sentinel's most recent meeting with the Quintessons are broadcast throughout the city, leading the populace to also join the fight.

Sentinel is ready to kill D-16, but drops his guard upon seeing his cowering before the Quintessons on dozens of screens. Seizing the opportunity, D-16 tackles Sentinel off the balcony and they fly through the cityscape before crashing into the empty energon fountain, crippling Sentinel in the process. The false Prime begs D-16 to spare him, claiming they can co-rule Cybertron. D-16 insists that Sentinel must die for his crimes, but Orion tries to convince his friend that they can't start a new age on Cybertron with the public execution of the former leader (though he also doesn't say that they ''shouldn't'' kill him either). D-16 violently disagrees, knocking his friend aside and readying the kill shot... only for Orion to leap in the path, the cannon blast tearing through his torso and sending him tumbling over the edge. D-16 grabs Orion's one good arm, horrified... ''that Orion would stop him from killing Sentinel''. With this betrayal, he vows he is ''done'' saving Orion from his mistakes and lets his dying friend plummet into Cybertron's depths. As Orion falls, D-16, insistent that there will be no more Primes, kills Sentinel by ripping him in half with his bare hands. He then seizes Megatronus' cog from Sentinel's chest, replacing the one gifted to him by Trion, which transforms him into an even ''more'' battle-ready form. Declaring himself "Megatron", he commands the High Guard to destroy everything Sentinel built... in other words, what's left of the city.

[[File:One-Megs-Prime-face-to-face.jpg|thumb|300px|Goodbye... brother.]]
Meanwhile, the mortally wounded Orion falls through the planetary strata, which slides and shifts out of his way, until he finally reaches Cybertron's core. There, he encounters the spirits of the Primes as Trion announce that Primus has deemed him worthy for the future of Cybertron and to carry the Matrix of Leadership, reformatting Orion and restoring his spark to declare him the newest of the Primes: "Optimus Prime", before being sent rocketing back to the surface in a blaze of blue light.

Elita and B try and fail to stop Megatron's rampage, their former friend ready to kill them too, but Optimus smashes onto the scene. Megatron is incensed at this new betrayal both by his former friend ''and'' the Matrix itself, and launches himself at Optimus. During their fight, Optimus manifests an energy battle axe to fight against Megatron along with Starscream, Soundwave, and Shockwave before using it to destroy Megatron's new cannon, ultimately winning their fight. Unwilling to kill his oldest friend, Optimus reluctantly banishes Megatron and his new allies to the surface. Megatron seethes but decides that now is not the time, and takes his new army to the surface.

With the return of the Matrix of Leadership, Cybertron is restored to life: energon flows once again from the planet's core to the surface, and ''all'' of the cogless bots receive transformation cogs, becoming fully autonomous "[[Autobot]]s" who vow to defend Cybertron from any future Quintesson incursions. However, the Quintessons are not the only looming threat—though banished from Iacon, Megatron and his followers rechristen themselves the "[[Decepticon]]s" and swear revenge.
{{-}}

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=Miners
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (One)|Orion Pax / Optimus Prime]] ([[Chris Hemsworth]])
*[[Megatron (One)|D-16 / Megatron]] ([[Brian Tyree Henry]])
*[[Elita-1 (One)|Elita-1]] ([[Scarlett Johansson]])
*[[Bumblebee (One)|B-127]] ([[Keegan-Michael Key]])
*[[Jazz (One)|Jazz]] ([[Evan Michael Lee]])
*[[Arcee (One)|Arcee]] ([[Jinny Chung]])
*[[Bluestreak (One)|Bluestreak]]
*[[Brawn (One)|Brawn]]
*''[[Not Chromia|Chromia]]''<ref group=note>A blue female cogless miner was designed to resemble [[Chromia (G1)|Generation 1 Chromia]] and named as such in production material. However she can't actually ''be'' Chromia, because a [[Chromia (One)|suspiciously-Mirage-like racer]] is named as such in dialogue.</ref>
*[[Firestar (One)|Firestar]]<ref group=note name="uncredited">Denotes a character, or unidentified members of a group, who speaks, but has no credited voice actor. The performance was likely done by an ADR voice cast member.</ref>
*[[Hound (One)|Hound]]
*[[Huffer (One)|Huffer]]
*[[Ironhide (One)|Ironhide]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Moonracer (One)|Moonracer]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Prowl (One)|Prowl]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Ratchet (One)|Ratchet]]
*[[Red Alert (One)|Red Alert]]
*[[Sideswipe (One)|Sideswipe]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Smokescreen (One)|Smokescreen]]
*[[Sunstreaker (One)|Sunstreaker]]
*[[Wheeljack (One)|Wheeljack]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Windcharger (One)|Windcharger]]

|h2=[[High Guard]]
|c2=
*[[Starscream (One)|Starscream]] ([[Steve Buscemi]])
*[[Soundwave (One)|Soundwave]] ([[Jon Bailey]])
*[[Shockwave (One)|Shockwave]] ([[Jason Konopisos-Alvarez]])
*[[Skywarp (One)|Skywarp]] (Josh Cooley)
*[[Thundercracker (One)|Thundercracker]]
*[[Dirge (One)|Dirge]]
*[[Ramjet (One)|Ramjet]]
*[[Thrust (One)|Thrust]]
*[[Slipstream (One)|Slipstream]]
*[[Redwing (One)|Redwing]]

|h3=[[Thirteen#One film|Primes]]
|c3=
*[[Alpha Trion]] ([[Laurence Fishburne]])
*[[Zeta Prime (One)|Zeta Prime]] ([[James Remar]])
*[[The Fallen#One film|Megatronus Prime]]
*[[Maccadam#One film|Alchemist Prime]]
*[[Amalgamous Prime#One film|Amalgamous Prime]]
*[[Liege Maximo#One film|Liege Maximo]]
*[[Micronus Prime#One film|Micronus Prime]]
*[[Nexus Prime#One film|Nexus Prime]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Onyx Prime#One film|Onyx Prime]]
*[[Prima#One film|Prima Prime]]
*[[Quintus Prime#One film|Quintus Prime]]
*[[Solus Prime#One film|Solus Prime]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Vector Prime#One film|Vector Prime]]

|c4=
*[[Sentinel Prime (One)|Sentinel Prime]] ([[Jon Hamm]])
*[[Airachnid (One)|Airachnid]] ([[Vanessa Liguori]])
*[[Quintesson High Commander]]
*[[Quintesson Soldier]]s
*[[Primus]]
*[[Tracker]]s<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Guard (One)|Guards]] ([[Steve Blum]], Jason Konopisos-Alvarez)
*[[Announcer Bot]] (Steve Blum)
*[[Control Room Guys]] (Josh Cooley)

'''Racers'''
*[[Darkwing (One)|Darkwing]] ([[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]])
*[[Chromia (One)|Chromia]] (Jinny Chung)
*[[Injured Racer]] ([[Dillon Bryan]])

|nonumbering=true
}}
<references group=note/>

==Quotes==
"Hey, look, I know it's all a big joke to you. But not me. I was paying my dues. I was going places. And now they're gonna bust me down I-- I don't even know how many tiers!" 
'"I'm sorry, D. But come on, didn't you feel it? Even for just a second, didn't you feel liberated? Didn't you feel like you were something else? Like you could be more than what they say you are?" 
"Yeah, I felt it. I did. But it doesn't matter. We're going to get punished ''and'' demoted. Ugh, Sentinel Prime saw the whole thing, this is so ''embarrassing''."
:—'''D-16''' knows his place, despite what '''Orion Pax''' tries.

"Don't you want to stop him?" 
"NO, '''I WANT TO KILL HIM!''' I wanna put Sentinel in chains and march him through the mines so everyone can see him for the '''FALSE PRIME''' that he is! I want him to '''suffer''', and then to ''die'' in ''darkness.'' But we all know it doesn't matter what I want, ''right'', Pax? The fact is, we're just cogless bots. Right? We had limited options, and now... now we have ''none''."
:—'''Orion Pax''' and '''D-16'''

"What defines a Transformer is not the cog in his chest, but the spark in that resides in their core. A spark that gives you the will to make your world better. My fellow Primes had that spark. And I see their strength in you. Take their cogs and access your full potential. Prima. Onyx. Alchemist. Micronus. Warriors of noble spirit, loyalty, strength. Their uniqueness enhanced by these. They were one. ''You'' are one. '''ALL''' are one!" 
"Wait. We have... You-- You gave us..." 
"The ability to change your world. How you choose to use that power is up to you."
:—'''Alpha Trion''' inaugurates '''Orion Pax''' and our heroes with the tried and true phrase.

'''Starscream''': Now, are you spies, or incompetent lackeys? 
'''Orion Pax''': We're not spies. 
'''Elita-1''': But he ''is'' incompetent.

"Uh... why is he gagged?" 
"He wouldn't stop talking." 
"Even when he was unconscious?" 
"''ESPECIALLY'' WHEN HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS!"
:—'''Elita-1''' asks '''Shockwave''' about B-127's restraints.

"If we want to be in control of our own destiny, we will have to fight for it. Now is the time for us to stand up. For ourselves. Stand up for this injustice! I promise you, this fight will be worth it. Follow me. Nothing can stop us when we stand together! Together as one!"
:—With the miners chanting his name, '''Orion Pax''' delivers his first heroic speech.

"You pathetic little twits! Did you really think that you could knock down everything I've built?!" 
"It's over, Sentinel! You can't escape the truth!" 
"What truth? That I plucked the cogs from your newborn chests? Forced you to mine so that I could pay off the Quintessons and live like a king? None of that matters! Because the truth... Is. ''WHAT. I. '''MAKE IT!'''''"
:—'''Sentinel Prime''' teaches '''Orion Pax''' that he won't go down without a fight.

"The Age of Primes has ended! '''NO MORE FALSE PROPHETS'''! Follow me, and you will ''never again'' be ''deceived!'' '''RISE UP!''' ''I'' will lead us all into the future! ''I...'' '''AM...''' '''''MEGATRON!'''''"
:—With the death of Sentinel Prime, '''D-16''' renames himself as '''Megatron'''

"We were given the power to change our world, and you chose to destroy it. Just like Sentinel. You have betrayed Cybertron and its citizens, and you betrayed... ''me.'' Go. Take the High Guard, and leave. You are banished from Iacon. It didn't have to end this way." 
"This isn't over... ''Prime.''"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Megatron''' share one final exchange.

"This is the greatest day of my life... I get to work for the ''government''!"
:—'''B-127''' knows a good benefits package when he sees one.

"And now we stand here together as one, proving we all have the power to transform; to become who we were destined to be; to right wrongs; to make our world better. Because here, freedom and autonomy are the right of all sentient beings. Here, all are truly ''Autobots''. This message is a warning to all Quintessons: If you dare return to Cybertron, the Autobots will be waiting. ''I'' will be waiting. I... am ''Optimus Prime''."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' gives his first dramatic ending monologue...

"Sentinel, the betrayer, is dead. But his death has given life to a new enemy...a stronger enemy... a ''personal'' enemy. We will ''not'' be blinded by his deception! We are the ones who are... '''DECEPTICONS! ''RISE UP!'''''"
:—...and '''Megatron''' gives the coming darkness its new name.

==Continuity notes==
The movie that would ultimately become ''Transformers One'' entered preliminary development in early 2015, when the project was first pitched as part of a writer's room that would lay out a number of sequels, prequels, and spinoff films that would turn the ongoing [[live-action film series|slate of live-action movies]] into a proper "cinematic universe", an attempt to cash in on the then-meteoric hype of the {{w|Marvel Cinematic Universe}}. Like pretty much all the other "cinematic universes" pitched at around this time, this ambitious vision was not to be: following the box-office bomb that was ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'', most of these projects were shelved, while others were heavily reworked—perhaps most infamously, ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' was recut into a film that contradicted ''The Last Knight'' and its depictions of Bumblebee fighting in [[World War II]], shifting the film and [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|its sequel]] into a more ambiguous "soft reboot" that only loosely connect to the five Bay films.

It appears that a similar conceptual drift occurred over the course of ''Transformers One'''s production. When the film entered full production in mid-2020, ''One'' was said to be "separate and apart" from the ongoing live-action films, though at the time just ''how'' distinct the film would be from its predecessors remained a mystery.<ref name="cooleyreveal" /> When later asked if the film was a prequel to the live-action films, a reboot, or its own universe, director Josh Cooley answered "yes" to all of the above.<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/transformers-one-director-confirms-new-movies-canon-status/ Transformers ONE Director Confirms New Movie's Canon Status - ComicBook.com]</ref> While a few details and visual nods—such as Bumblebee's original name of "B-127", the function of the [[Matrix of Leadership]] in which it dissolves into dust if it deems someone unworthy to wield it and the incorporation of a closing monologue delivered by Optimus—referenced the live-action films, the film otherwise draws heavily upon the mythology first laid down in the [[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned" continuity family]] and has gone on to inform just about every major ''Transformers'' universe afterwards, particularly in its depiction of Orion Pax and D-16 as former allies fighting against a corrupt Cybertronian government.

As the film's release date drew closer, multiple comments from the film's creatives indicated that the filmmakers viewed the movie as something entirely separate from the ongoing live-action films. In July, Josh Cooley stated that the film was set in a "new Transformers continuity"<ref>{{citesocial|quote= "Hey little nerd in my profile picture, what if I told you someday you'll create a new Transformers continuity, that begins earlier than anything you've seen on the Transformers lore timeline, with the greatest crew and cast ever assembled?"|link= https://twitter.com/CooleyUrFaceOff/status/1817235351095894510 |name=Josh Cooley|site=Twitter|year=2024|month=7|day=27}}</ref>; in another interview from a week before release, di Bonaventura ultimately admitted that ''One'' didn't fit into the chronology of the live-action films, and described ''One'' and the live-action films as "two universes" that would be "[kept] separate".<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/is-transformers-one-a-prequel-optimus-prime-origin-story-exclusive/ Is Transformers One a Prequel or Reboot? The Animated Movie's Origin Story Is Both, Director Says]</ref> These statements were ultimately borne out by the movie itself, which featured multiple plot points that are pretty much irreconcilable with the live-action films—early on, the film establishes that [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] is long dead, negating his appearance in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''; additionally, the movie ends with the newly christened Megatron killing Sentinel Prime, leaving no wiggle room for the events of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' to occur. As a result, the wiki has opted to treat ''One'' and any potential sequels as a new [[continuity family]] entirely separate from the ongoing live-action films.

==Transformers references==
* As with pretty much every major ''Transformers'' project since 2010, ''Transformers One'' is the latest interpretation of the modernized ''Transformers'' backstory that originated with [[Binder of Revelation|Hasbro's internal design documents]] and was first laid down in ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]''—the story of [[Primus]], the [[Thirteen|thirteen original Transformers]], and the origins of Optimus Prime and Megatron as former friends who fought against inequality on pre-war Cybertron until Megatron's extremism drove them apart. Notably, this version of the story portrays both Orion and Megatron as [[energon]] miners on the bottom of Cybertron's caste system—most other interpretations have instead depicted Orion as a somewhat higher-ranking data clerk. While other tellings of the story have Orion advocating for non-violent social change, this take on the origin ends with Orion Pax working alongside the future Decepticons to directly overthrow the reigning Prime, evoking [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'' miniseries.
* Many contemporary works of pre-war ''Transformers'' fiction have established that pre-war Cybertronians organized themselves under a job-based [[Functionism|caste system]], with miners and other manual laborers occupying the lowest ranks of Transformer society. ''One'' features a very simplified version of this hierarchy, where Cybertronians without transformation cogs are an oppressed underclass while other Transformers receive additional rights and job opportunities.
* With the exception of D-16—whose origins as a low-ranking miner date back to IDW's ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]''—all of the other miners shown in the film go on to join the Autobots, while the forerunners of the Decepticons are depicted as ex-members of the elite [[High Guard]]. This specific class divide dates back to the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" and, to a lesser extent, "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]", which explained the war between the Autobots and Decepticons as an entrenched conflict between civilian laborers and military robots.
* All the character designs are far closer to their Generation 1 designs (both the cartoon and the original toys) than the previous films. Characters also earn their iconic design traits in pivotal scenes, such as Optimus Prime's [[Energon-axe]] and [[mouthplate]], or Megatron's [[fusion cannon]]. In the final scene, many miners gain details to match their Generation 1-selves even closer after they receive their cogs; in particular, Arcee gains her pink visor from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. Starscream, Soundwave, and Megatron's newly applied insignias in the post-credits scene are also in the same place as their original counterparts, with Starscream's even being upside-down!
* Optimus Prime's original identity of "Orion Pax" is a name taken from the ''The Transformers'' episode "War Dawn". Notably, the cartoon's version of Orion Pax was also a manual laborer, although the film does seemingly pay homage to Orion Pax's other famous job by having him sneak into the Cybertronian Archives at the very beginning of the film. D-16 takes [[Dion (G1)|Dion]]'s place as his best friend and co-worker.
* The 'bot who will one day be known as "Megatron" initially goes by the name "D-16", a moniker lifted from ''Exodus'' and itself based on the [[TakaraTomy]] ID number of the [[Megatron (G1)/toys#The Transformers|original Megatron toy]]. D-16's original body—with a black, dome-shaped helmet and yellow eyes—references Megatron's [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel Comics appearance]], which in turn was based on concept art for an unproduced prototype version of the original Takara Micro Change figure. Much like Orion Pax, his modern gladiator job is paid homage in his fight with Starscream.
* B-127 is heavily based on his [[Bumblebee (Movie)|live-action film series counterpart]]: his helmet design and blasters bear a resemblance to his appearance in those films; additionally, his overly-talkative nature is a meta-gag about his "future" self being best known for not being able to speak. The name "B-127" derives from the [[Bumblebee (film)|''Bumblebee'' movie]], where, much like this film, he did not receive the name "Bumblebee" on Cybertron. B-127's battle mask resembles his [[Bumblebee (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart's]] [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#The Transformers|original toy]]; towards the end of the film, he fights with a pair of "knife hands" seemingly based on ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]]'' Bumblebee's melee weapons.
* In general, Elita-1 doesn't draw upon as many specific references as her co-stars, although her purplish-pink color scheme and motorcycle [[alternate mode]] may be a reference to her [[Elita-One (Movie)|''Revenge of the Fallen'' design]]. Notably, of the four main protagonists, Elita's the only one who ''doesn't'' have an alternate alias—especially odd given that her [[Elita One (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]] originally went by "Ariel" in the ''The Transformers'' episode "War Dawn". (This exclusion is perhaps less odd when one considers that subsequent to 1985, [[Disney]] secured a near-stranglehold on toys named "{{w|Ariel (The Little Mermaid)|Ariel}}".)
* Sentinel Prime is based on [[Sentinel Zeta Prime]], the former leader of Cybertron in the [[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned" continuity]]. Like that version of the character, this take on Sentinel Prime is explicitly a "false" Prime who never carried the Matrix of Leadership, and a puppet ruler who was appointed to the position by the Quintessons. Design-wise, this take on Sentinel draws from his "Aligned" counterpart, his [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|''Dark of the Moon'' appearance]], and has details from his [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' toy]] and the thematically similar character, [[Nominus Prime]]. Sentinel's battle mode is inspired by his [[Apex Armor (G1)|Apex Armor]] from the ''Megatron Origin'' comic. He also has his [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|''Animated'' counterpart]]'s glorious chin, as well as carrying on his 'arrogant jerkwad' personality rather than the more stoic attitude of other Sentinels. His Primax blade takes specific inspiration from DOTM Sentinel's [[Primax Blade|weapon of the same name]], now with the additional ability to retract one or both of its blades when required.
* Airachnid is derived from the ''Prime'' [[Airachnid (Prime)|character of the same name]]—a notable inclusion given the primarily G1-based main cast—sharing a similar design, alternate mode as a helicopter, and antagonistic personality. Role-wise, however, she draws from her [[Airachnid (G1)|IDW 2005 counterpart]] being a subordinate of the [[Starscream_(G1)/2005_IDW_continuity|shady sovereign ruler of Cybertron]].
* Like Sentinel Prime, the Quintessons are primarily based on their depiction in the "Aligned" lorebook [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|''The Covenant of Primus'']], which depicted them as shadowy manipulators who ruled Cybertron and exploited its natural resources through a proxy government; notably, the Quintessons in the ''Covenant'' helped maintain their hold on Transformer civilization by withholding the power to transform from the general populace. In a notable deviation from traditional ''Transformers'' lore, the bodies and starships of the film's Quintessons appear to be organic in nature.
** It is ambiguous to what the origin of the Quintessons actually is. In most modern media, the Quintessons are the renegade creations of Quintus Prime (such as in ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark]]''). While they do share some similarities, such as part of their names, multiple appendages, need for Energon, and their coloration, nothing is ever stated that Quintus Prime created them. They aren't the creators of the Cybertronian race like in media before Primus was created, either. It is possible that the Quintessons are simply an alien race unrelated to the Cybertronians.
* Primus' design seen in the hologram Orion plays is largely based on the [[IP infringement|"third party"]] 01 Studio Seed figure, itself inspired by the oft-referenced [[:File:UltimateGuidePrimus.jpg|original character model]] for his planet-body from [[DK Publishing|DK]]'s [[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide|''The Ultimate Guide'']]. His head and chest are closer to his ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' appearance, also pulling a simplified version of [[Primus#Cybertron|that toy]]'s transformation scheme. Primus' willing sacrifice of his locomotion and birthing of the Thirteen pulls from his appearance in the eponymous ''Covenant of Primus''.
* The Thirteen are similarly based on their "Aligned"' incarnations for their backstory and designs. Nexus, Megatronus, Solus, and Alchemist Prime also draw from their ''[[:File:NexusPrimeflankedbyotherPrimes.jpg|Timelines]]'', ''[[:File:Megatronus.jpeg|Titans Return]]'', ''[[:File:SolusPrime-PowerofthePrimes.jpg|Power of the Primes]]'', and ''[[:File:TheCitizen IaconusCitizens.jpg|Cyberverse]]'' designs, respectively, while Vector Prime is based squarely on his original ''Cybertron'' design.
* Megatronus is also inspired by his ''Revenge of the Fallen'' design, including his face being based on the Decepticon symbol (or vice versa in-universe), although it is far more obvious in this movie, coincidentally evoking [[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]. Megatronus' face becoming the in-universe inspiration for the Decepticon symbol reflects the real life story of [[Soundwave (G1)|Generation 1 Soundwave]]'s face inspiring the iconic symbol.
* Alpha Trion's abilities to recreate and store memories as information calls back to the archival role of his [[Alpha Trion#Aligned continuity family|Aligned incarnation]]. His alternate mode being a leonine beast with a unicorn-esque horn is a direct homage to his [[Alpha Trion/toys#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' toy]], itself based on his [[Alpha Trion/toys#Expanded Universe|cancelled BotCon toy]].
* The mysterious [[Thirteenth Prime]] is replaced with Zeta Prime, who also takes [[Prima]]'s role as leader and Matrix-bearer, though Prima himself is still present. Zeta's design is also based on "Aligned" Sentinel Zeta Prime, as he appears in the ''War for Cybertron'' video game.
* The Thirteen are not actually referred to as the "Thirteen", but rather the Primes or the "Council of Elders", a term that originated in ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''. This is likely because it would contradict Sentinel's narrative painting himself as a fourteenth Prime. Notably, none of the archives or displays of the Thirteen include Sentinel.
* The cameo miners mostly draw from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast#Season 1|1984 Autobot cast of the original cartoon]], along with the [[Female Autobots]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], and recolors such as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]. The background High Guard characters, meanwhile, are based on the endless Starscream recolors that have appeared throughout ''Transformers'', commonly known as the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. Notably, one of their helmet variations is based on [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity#Cybertron cartoon|''Cybertron'' Starscream]]'s, while some Seekers including [[Thundercracker (One)|Thundercracker]] sport triple-barreled weapons on their arms that resemble the [[neutron assault rifle]] from ''Fall of Cybertron'' – specifically the split-in-half configuration seen in the [[Starscream (WFC)/toys#Generations|''Fall of Cybertron'' Starscream toy]] and its redecoes, even including a gear-shaped detail behind the barrels echoing the gears on the toy's accessories.
* Shockwave, Soundwave, Starscream/the Seekers, and the cogged versions of Ironhide, Ratchet, and Arcee have details based on their ''Bumblebee'' designs.
*The jet modes of Starscream/the Seekers are also based on ''Bumblebee'', while Soundwave's vehicle mode is based on his [[Soundwave (ROTF)/toys#SS83|''Studio Series Bumblebee'' toy]]. Shockwave's alternate mode resembles his [[Shockwave (WFC)|''War for Cybertron'' counterpart]], and both he and Starscream/the Seekers have details from their [[War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' toys]].
*When Orion "transforms" to run away from the guards, he moves his limbs in a way that evokes [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Toys|his original toy]]'s transformation.
* The Matrix causing Energon to flow and 'killing' the planet when lost calls back to the [[AllSpark]].
* When discussing their mining ability, Elita says Orion "[doesn't] have the touch or the power," a reference to the [[The Touch|beloved song]] from ''The Transformers: The Movie.''
* The Iacon 5000 derives from the Marvel UK ''The Transformers'' [[Source:Darn 'n' Blast#Issue 326|issue 326's "Darn 'n' Blast" letter page]]. Many of the racers in the Iacon 5000 are characters from Generation 1 and ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'', with their colors and vehicle modes next to their names on the leaderboard, though they do not correspond to specific models except for the miners, Darkwing, and Chromia.
** Racers based on their Generation 1 counterparts include [[Mirage (One)|Mirage]], [[Clampdown (One)|Clampdown]], [[Silverbolt (One)|Silverbolt]], "[[Deadend (One)|Deadend]]", [[Slingshot (One)|Slingshot]], [[Cliffjumper (One)|Cliffjumper]], [[Dragstrip (One)|Dragstrip]], [[Swerve (One)|Swerve]], [[Powerglide (One)|Powerglide]], [[Windblade (One)|Windblade]], [[Afterburner (One)|Afterburner]], [[Blurr (One)|Blurr]], [[Fireflight (One)|Fireflight]], [[Cordon (One)|Cordon]], [[Breakdown (One)|Breakdown]], [[Swindle (One)|Swindle]], [[Tailgate (One)|Tailgate]], [[Lightspeed (One)|Lightspeed]], "[[Spinout (One)|Spinout]]", [[Greasepit (One)|Greasepit]], [[Scattershot (One)|Scattershot]], [[Inferno (One)|Inferno]], [[Motormaster (One)|Motormaster]], and "[[Hotrod (One)|Hotrod]]".
** Racers based on their ''Generation 2'' counterparts include [[Blowout (One)|Blowout]], [[High Beam (One)|High Beam]], [[Double Clutch (One)|Double Clutch]], [[Meanstreak (One)|Meanstreak]], [[Motormouth (One)|Motormouth]], [[Speedstream (One)|Speedstream]], "[[Roadrocket (One)|Roadrocket]]", and [[Staxx (One)|Staxx]].
** [[Jolt (One)|Jolt]] and [[Leadfoot (One)|Leadfoot]] are the only racers based on their [[Jolt_(ROTF)|Bayverse ]] [[Leadfoot (DOTM)|counterparts]].
** [[Jetstorm (One)|Jetstorm]] and [[Tankor (One)|Tankor]] are based on their ''[[Jetstorm (BM)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Tankor (BM)|counterparts]].
** [[Override (One)|Override]] is based on her ''Cybertron'' [[Override (Cybertron)|counterpart]].
**Racers that are only named through dialogue are [[Tailwind (One)|Tailwind]], [[Strafe (One)|Strafe]] (spelled "Streak" in the Spanish subtitles), [[Skyfire (One)|Skyfire]], and original characters [[Thunderglide]] and [[Behemoth]]. Phew!
* After being knocked off the train and stranded on the surface, Elita-1 calls Orion, D-16, and B-127 a bunch of "idiot [[GoBots|go-bots]]" as if referring to their previous toy shelf rivals (although it's spelled the way that Hasbro does for their own figures).
* The film's themes, "Resting Place of the Primes" and "The Fall", include a leitmotif from the main theme of ''Transformers: Prime'', which was also composed by Brian Tyler. "The Fall" also plays a motif lifted from ''The Transformers: The Movie'''s "[[Death of Optimus Prime]]" in a different key. More specifically, the motif is from when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] flatlines and dies. Fitting, as "The Fall" plays when Orion Pax is dropped into Cybertron's [[core]] and Optimus Prime is born. Incidentally, this scene and the music are also quite similar to when Megatron fatally shoots Bumblebee in the ''Transformers: Prime'' series finale "[[Deadlock (episode)|Deadlock]]" (though the cue originated from the second season finale "[[Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour]]" when the Decepticons destroyed [[Autobot Outpost Omega One]]).
*D-16's eye color gradually shifting from yellow to red upon declaring himself "Megatron" is similar to how his [[Megatron (WFC)|Aligned counterpart]]'s eye color changed from blue to red after being denied the rank of Prime (and given to his friend Orion, which he viewed as a "betrayal") as seen in the flashbacks of "[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]".
*The part of "The Fall" that plays when Megatron rips Sentinel in half also includes a leitmotif from [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron's]] "The Great Exodus".
* The notion of the Matrix actively rejecting an "unworthy" candidate and disintegrating was a plot point in ''Revenge of the Fallen''.
* Alpha Trion announces "All are one!" as he bequeaths the main quartet their new transformation cogs, a reference to the classic slogan "[['Til all are one]]!" originating from ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
* An empty Matrix chamber is visible behind Orion's chest window after receiving his cog, even before finding the actual Matrix.
* The throne Starscream sits on is loosely based on the crown his [[Starscream (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]] wore during his coronation in ''The Transformers: The Movie''.<ref>[https://youtu.be/fo7EwIlSNAs?si=8y1UWHCLv46WKzE7&t=190 Brian Tyree Henry & Josh Cooley Dissect The Evolution Of Megatron | Transformers One Behind The Shot]</ref>
*Soundwave scans Orion's electrical impulses to check if he is lying, a rarely referenced ability from his [[Soundwave (G1)|original toy's bio]].
*Shockwave's eye flickers when he speaks, just as it did in the original Generation 1 cartoon. Similarly, Optimus Prime's faceplate bobs up and down when he speaks.
* Starscream has a normal-sounding voice (for Steve Buscemi, anyway) when he first appears, but after D-16 crushes his [[voice box]] during their duel, his voice becomes shriller and scratchier in the style of [[Chris Latta]]'s portrayal of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]].
*Shockwave and Elita have a small rivalry, reflecting their Generation 1 versions in Elita's introduction episode, "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]".
* Soundwave orders the High Guard to "[[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|eject]]" when descending on Sentinel's tower.
[[File:TFoneOrionJump.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Let my people go!]]
* During the battle in Sentinel Prime's tower, Orion leaps into the air and shoots one of the Trackers, with his midair pose homaging Optimus Prime's famous midair shooting pose from ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
* Megatron is the 'bot who shoots Orion and leaves him on the brink of death until he is resurrected as Optimus Prime in what is likely a reference to the ''The Transformers'' episode "War Dawn". However, the specific framing of the scene—in which Megatron shoots Orion and drops him into the depths of the planet, only for him to find the Matrix and return as Optimus—is, however coincidentally, nearly identical to the events of [[Transformation (issue)|issue #9]] of ''Autocracy''. Orion finding the Matrix in the planet's core also evokes the climax of the ''War for Cybertron'' games.
* The fatal wounds Orion Pax sustained from D-16 before his descent into Cybertron's core strongly resemble the wounds Optimus Prime sustained at the end of the ''The Transformers'' episode "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]".
* Megatron disposes of Sentinel Prime in the same manner that his [[Megatron (Movie)|live-action counterpart]] killed [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]]—by bisecting the bot with his bare hands. Similarly, this is also how the [[Rainmaker]]s disposed of Sentinel in the [[2019 IDW continuity]].
** Likewise, a damaged Sentinel pleaded mercy and tried to reason to his soon-to-be executioner, the one 'bot who trusted him the most. In ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Transformers: Dark of the Moon]]'', it was Optimus; here, it was Megatron. Also, Sentinel offers Megatron to work together, which they did in ''Dark of the Moon'' until Sentinel briefly usurped Megatron's leadership.
* When both Orion Pax and Sentinel Prime die, [[aggressive depigmentation|their bodies turn grey]].
* Orion is caught by a beam and brought to Primus to be reformatted into Optimus Prime, much like how Megatron was caught by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and reformatted into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]].
* "Arise, Optimus Prime", intones Alpha Trion as Orion receives the Matrix, evoking the climax of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', in which a ghostly Optimus Prime said the same to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] as he transformed into Rodimus Prime.
* When the energy burst from Optimus' return to the surface blows Megatron off his feet, he crashes to the ground in a [https://www.reddit.com/r/transformers/s/QRpmFJRCXz pose] identical to his G1 self after Optimus threw him off during their duel in ''The Transformers: The Movie.''
* Megatron using a long piece of sharp, orange shrapnel to attack Optimus also comes from the iconic fight in ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
* Optimus using a defeated Shockwave's cannon to attack another enemy is a fighting move Optimus made in ''Dark of the Moon''.
* After Optimus and Megatron's fight concludes, Megatron is shown with "tear stains" of mech fluid under his eyes, precisely matching the fluid-streaks the original Megatron had running down ''his'' face after his fight with Optimus in ''The Transformers: The Movie''. In ''One'', Megatron then declares "This isn't over, Prime," mirroring his line from ''The Movie'': "It's over, Prime."
* When restoring Cybertron's Energon supply, Optimus holds the Matrix in the same pose Hot Rod holds it when transforming into Rodimus at the end of ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
* The restoration of Cybertron's Energon supply is somewhat similar to the planet's revitalization at the end of "[[The Rebirth, Part 3]]".
* Optimus' concluding narration is presented as a "message" being sent into space, continuing the recurring concept of the ''Transformers'' films ending in such a way, introduced in the [[Transformers (film)|first live-action movie]]. This also happens at the end of "[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]".
*Optimus' transformation during his ending monologue is accompanied by the original transformation noise.
* In the post-credits scene, Megatron brands the Decepticon insignia onto his troops much like his [[Megatron (Animated)|''Animated'' counterpart]] did in "[[A Bridge Too Close, Part I]]". Megatron also orders the Decepticons to "[[Roll out#Transformers_Animated|rise up]]", quoting his ''Animated'' counterpart who originated the phrase "transform and rise up" in "[[Megatron Rising - Part 2]]".
* While the newly christened Decepticons fire into the sky, the glow of the laser beams shines on Megatron's insignia in a way that homages the metallic effect of the [[:File:TF-G1-HD-Logo-Evil-Decepticon.png|original Decepticon ''The Transformers'' logo]], and many a [[scene transition]].

==Real-life references==
* The design of the arcade cabinet in the miners' quarters is based on the {{w|Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo MVS}}.
* One of B-127's "friends" is named [https://youtu.be/Dd7FixvoKBw?t=104 A-A-Tron].
* As Orion Pax and D-16 approach the finish line in the Iacon 5000, the announcer quotes verbatim Joe Starkey's call of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Play_(American_football) The Play] from the 1982 Cal-Stanford game. "The most amazing, sensational, dramatic, heart-rending, exciting, thrilling finish in the history of—" It can be assumed he would say "The Iacon 5000" in place of "college football," had Chromia not sped past to win the race.

==Errors==
* The history record about Primus, the Primes, and the Matrix that Orion Pax watches in the archives is recorded by [[Laurence Fishburne|a voice]] that clearly belongs to Alpha Trion. Yet, the events described in the history record include the disappearance of the Matrix, which happened after the Primes were killed and Alpha Trion went offline. So how could Alpha Trion have made that recording when he was lying comatose in a cave during that time?
** That said, synthesizing voices isn't all that hard. Considering the record's content, it was likely created by Sentinel Prime as propaganda.
* Many of the miners based on recognizable characters appear multiple times in the background or between shots, with many, such as Ironhide, having numerous occupations and being in multiple places at the same time.
* The High Guard has the same issue. Slipstream is shown to have been captured by the Death Trackers, but is later shown to take part in the attack on Sentinel's tower. Thundercracker is sliced in half by Airachnid, but is present the rest of the film.
* Mirage, with the colors and land-based vehicle mode of his [[Mirage (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]], appears on the leaderboard of the Iacon 5000, but one of the cogless miners is clearly based on Generation 1 Mirage.
* Chromia is the racer that wins the Iacon 5000, but a bot that better resembles [[Chromia (G1)|Generation 1 Chromia]] appears as a miner too. Production designer Jason Scheier would confirm the miner bot is just a bot that resembles Chromia, while the one in the Iacon 5000 is the 'real' Chromia.
* One of the cogless miners is clearly meant to be [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], with a black crest, red pelvis, and red pips on his shoulders. However, the scene after the Iacon 5000 in Iacon's medical center has a voice on the intercom paging a "Dr. Ratchet".
* Airachnid's legs are floating behind her back in her conversation with Sentinel Prime after he murders Alpha Trion.
* When Starscream interrogates the main quartet in the High Guard lair, Slipstream's hands are [https://www.reddit.com/r/Transformemes/comments/1gw87v2/something_feels_missing/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=1 positioned] as if she is holding a blaster but the blaster itself is not present at all, resulting in a rather awkward pose.
* The incriminating clips of Sentinel replayed from Airachnid's mind reuse clips from previous scenes of the movie instead of being from Airachnid's point of view. She wasn't exaggerating when she said "I see ''everything''"!
* Additionally, one of Sentinel’s lines in Airachnid’s mind isn’t present in the scene it should come from; her memory of the meeting with the Quintessons includes Sentinel saying “I’m working my miners as hard as I can”, a line that’s never said in the original scene. Unless this was one of his lines spoken during his previous encounters with the Quintessons, that is.
* During the long take of Optimus Prime using his Energon axe to fight off Megatron, Starscream, Shockwave, and Soundwave at the end of the film, Soundwave's shoulder cannon is on his left shoulder. In every other shot of the film, he is depicted with the cannon over his right shoulder like his G1 counterpart usually does.

==Music==
A score album, ''[[Transformers One (Music from the Motion Picture)]]'', features the original music by composer [[Brian Tyler]] and was released concurrently with the film. It notably repurposes a leitmotif from his work on [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Transformers: Prime'']] into this film's main theme. The score also has other Transformers references, both in the melodies and titles of the tracks. The composer, under his electronic side project "Are We Dreaming", also produced the end credits song, "[[If I Fall]]", featuring rappers [[W:Quavo|Quavo]] (of Migos fame) and [[W:Ty Dolla Sign|Ty Dolla $ign]].

Canadian DJ {{w|Excision_(musician)|Excision}} released the dubstep song "Together As One", which samples numerous lines from the film's cast, as part of the film's marketing campaign. Many of the lines in this song would go unused in the film's final cut. Chinese artist {{w|Yuqi}} released the song "ONE" as part of the film's Chinese marketing campaign. Neither song is present in the film.

==Reception==
{{quote|Just when you’re about to give up on stories that endlessly repackage the same trademarked properties, along comes a movie like Josh Cooley’s “Transformers One.” As its subtly confident title suggests, it carries itself as if nobody had ever made a Transformers movie before.|Matt Zoller Seitz|[https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/transformers-one-film-review Rogerebert.com]}}

While [[Michael Bay]]'s ''Transformers'' films were notable for their record-breaking profits despite mixed to overwhelmingly negative reviews, ''Transformers One'' faced the opposite problem. While [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|the previous theatrical ''Transformers'' film]] met with mixed reviews, ''Transformers One'' enjoyed an almost universally positive reception from both film critics and casual moviegoers. Critics praised the film's visual design, its nuanced approach to characterization and worldbuilding, and the performances of the film's voice actors, with many singling out Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry for their portrayals of Orion Pax and D-16. As of October 2024, its RottenTomatoes rating sits at 89% positive critical reviews and 98% positive audience reviews.

In the United States and Canada, ''Transformers One'' was originally projected to gross between $30-$40 million on its opening weekend. Ultimately, the film only made $24.6 million and finished second in the box office behind ''{{w|Beetlejuice Beetlejuice}}'' (which had been released ''two weeks'' prior) in a surprise upset. <ref> [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/box-office-can-transformers-one-borrow-a-page-from-spider-verse-and-recover-1236009559/ "Box Office: Can Transformers One Borrow a Page From Spider-Verse and Recover?"] </ref> In its second weekend, the film lost out to rival animated robot movie ''{{w|The Wild Robot}}'', and ultimately took in a mere $9.2 million after suffering a 62.8% drop.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2024/09/box-office-megalopolis-the-wild-robot-1236101618/ "'Wild Robot' Powers To Third Best September Animated Pic Debut With $35M; 'Megalopolis' Collapses With $4M & D+ CinemaScore; 'Saturday Night' Alive In Limited Release -- Box Office Update"]</ref>

The film's theatrical run was finished on November 22, 2024, grossing $128.7 million worldwide, making it the lowest-earning Paramount-released ''Transformers'' film.<ref>[https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2024/11/22/transformers-one-ends-its-theatrical-run-how-much-did-it-make/ "‘Transformers One’ Ends Its Theatrical Run. How Much Did It Make? - Forbes"]</ref>

==Development timeline==
[[File:Transformers-One-Teaser-Poster.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''There can be miracles when you believe Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill Who knows what miracles you can achieve When you believe, somehow you will You will when you believe'']]
*March 27, 2015 — As part of the development of ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|Transformers: The Last Knight]]'', [[Paramount Pictures]] negotiates with [[Akiva Goldsman]], hiring him to create a "writer's room" to build a cinematic universe.<ref name="goldsman">[https://deadline.com/2015/03/transformers-akiva-goldsman-paramount-sequels-spinoffs-1201400027/ Paramount Enlisting Akiva Goldsman To Ramp Up 'Transformers' Output] on deadline.com</ref> Among the writers hired are ''Ant-Man and the Wasp'' scribes [[Andrew Barrer]] and [[Gabriel Ferrari]], who pitch the concept of an animated ''Transformers'' prequel set in the [[Live-action film series|live-action series universe]].<ref name="barrerferrari">[https://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>
*December 20, 2018 — Following the release of ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'', [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] hints in an interview that the animated prequel is still in the works.<ref>[https://www.metro.us/will-there-be-a-bumblebee-2-whats-the-future-for-the-transformers-universe-heres-what-its-producer-told-us/ Lorenzo di Bonaventura interview for Metro USA]</ref>
*April 29, 2020 — Director [[Josh Cooley]] (''Toy Story 4'') is reported to have been brought into the project to oversee a final draft, which is said to be "separate and apart" from the live-action films.<ref name="cooleyreveal" />
*May 18, 2021 — [[Allspark Pictures]] President [[Greg Mooradian]] credits the animated ''Transformers'' film on his Linkedin page with a 2023 release.<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-mooradian-4a5062200/ Greg Mooradian's Linkedin:] "TRANSFORMERS (Animated Feature), with Oscar-winner Josh Cooley directing (2023 release)"</ref>
*May 24, 2021 — Hasbro CEO [[Brian Goldner]] confirms the animated feature is in development, and will be released at some point after ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts]]''.<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2021/05/24/tfw2005-coverage-of-49th-j-p-morgan-conference-434088 TFW2005 Coverage Of 49th J.P. Morgan Conference]</ref>
*January 21, 2022 — Paramount announces an untitled animated Transformers movie will be released on July 19, 2024.<ref>[https://collider.com/new-transformers-animated-movie-release-date/ Collider: New 'Transformers' Animated Movie Release Date Set For 2024]</ref>
*April 20, 2023 — di Bonaventura reveals that the entire film takes place on Cybertron, and the setting explores how they begin to question the hierarchy of how their society has gotten stratified, and how the common man doesn't have the voice that they want to have.<ref name=collider2023>[https://collider.com/transformers-animated-movie-characters-plot-cybertron-lorenzo-di-bonaventura-comments/ Here’s What the New Animated ‘Transformers’ Movie Is About (Exclusive)]</ref>
*April 21, 2023 — A day after the previous interview, di Bonaventura confirms [[Industrial Light & Magic]]'s involvement as the film's animation studio, bringing the company back to the franchise for the first time since ''Bumblebee''.<ref>[https://collider.com/new-transformers-animated-movie-ilm-lorenzo-di-bonaventura-comments/ The New 'Transformers' Animated Movie Is Partnering With an Industry Giant for the CGI (Exclusive)]/</ref>
*April 27, 2023 — The first members of the film's voice cast are revealed, consisting of [[Chris Hemsworth]] as Optimus Prime, [[Brian Tyree Henry]] as Megatron, [[Scarlett Johansson]] as Elita, [[Keegan-Michael Key]] as Bumblebee, [[Jon Hamm]] as Sentinel Prime, and [[Laurence Fishburne]] as Alpha Trion.<ref>[https://variety.com/2023/film/news/transformers-animated-prequel-chris-hemsworth-scarlett-johansson-1235596692/ ‘Transformers’ Animated Prequel Sets Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and More Voice Cast]</ref>
*May 24, 2023 — Paramount moves the film's release date to September 13, 2024.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/05/transformers-one-release-date-pushed-by-paramount-1235379167/ ‘Transformers One’: Paramount Pushes Date For Animated Feature]</ref>
*June 7, 2023 — di Bonaventura teases how the film stands out from previous entries in the franchise, praises Chris Hemsworth's casting as Optimus Prime, and mentions a vocal transition from Hemsworth's voice to [[Peter Cullen]]'s as the character for audiences to witness. [[Steve Desmond]] and [[Michael Sherman]] (''Knock at the Cabin'') were revealed to be additional writers for the film, but where uncredited when the final credit came in.<ref>[https://collider.com/transformers-one-chris-hemsworth-optimus-prime-lorenzo-di-bonaventura-comments/ 'Transformers One' Producer Is Already Hyped for Chris Hemsworth's Optimus Prime]</ref>
*June 15, 2023 — Scarlett Johansson discusses the film's animation and praises Cooley as director.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWqG5mlRxzs Scarlett Johansson Says Transformers One Looks So Cool]</ref> Chris Hemsworth later brings details on voicing Optimus Prime for the film and his reasoning he joined the project through his love of the script. He confirms that he will not use his regular voice for the character.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWrsvSzWHoE Chris Hemsworth's Optimus Prime Sadly Won't Be Australian in Transformers One]</ref>
*July 20, 2023 — di Bonaventura confirms Optimus Prime and Megatron in the film will be depicted under their Orion Pax and D-16 identities.<ref>[https://onetakenews.com/2023/07/20/lorenzo-di-bonaventura-transformers-one/ Lorenzo di Bonaventura Teases Upcoming Film ‘Transformers: One’: “It’s Something I’ve Wanted To Do For A Long Time” (Exclusive)]</ref>
*December 15, 2023 — Keegan-Michael Key mentions his voice for Bumblebee is closer to his regular speaking voice.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLM71B5xmFY Transformers One: Keegan-Michael Key Reveals What Bumblebee Sounds Like in New Animated Film]</ref>
*April 11, 2024 — The cast of the movie previews the trailer and reveals a new logo for the film at Cinemacon 2024, The Hollywood Reporter also confirms [[Steve Buscemi]] has joined the cast.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/transformers-one-animated-movie-chris-hemsworth-scarlett-johansson-1235871998/ Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Brian Tyree Henry Debut Origin Story 'Transformers One' - The Hollywood Reporter]</ref> During the presentation, Hemsworth revealed that Cullen served as a consultant on the getting the voice down.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transformers-one-news-film-is-testing-very-well-and-peter-cullen-consulted-chris-hemsworth-on-voice/48127/ Transformers One News: Film is Testing Very Well and Peter Cullen Consulted Chris Hemsworth on Voice]</ref>
*April 16, 2024 — Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry announce the date of the film's first trailer being on Thursday, April 18, 2024, as it will be launched into space.<ref>[https://collider.com/transformers-one-trailer-premiered-from-space/ The 'Transformers One' Trailer Will Be Premiered From Space - Collider]</ref>
[[File:TransformersOne-weatherballoon.jpg|right|thumb|250px|''So how do you judge what a man is worth? By what he [[Toy|builds or buys]]? You can never see with your eyes on Earth Look through Heaven's eyes Look at your life. Look at your life Look at your life through Heaven's eyes'']]
*April 18, 2024 — A livestream hosted by Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry follows a small craft launched towards space, with a screen that plays the trailer once it reaches 125,000 feet. The movie's release date has been pushed back by one week, to September 20, reportedly to avoid the release conflicting with that of ''{{w|Beetlejuice Beetlejuice}}''.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2024/04/transformers-one-trailer-release-date-1235889037/ ‘Transformers One’ Launches Trailer In Space, A First For A Movie Studio; Pic Going Later In September]</ref> When asked whether the film is a fresh start, a prequel to the live-action films, or its own thing, Cooley replies "yes to all of the above".<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/transformers-one-director-confirms-new-movies-canon-status/ Transformers ONE Director Confirms New Movie's Canon Status - ComicBook.com]</ref>
*May 20, 2024 — [[Brian Tyler]] is attached as the film's composer.<ref>[https://filmmusicreporter.com/2024/05/20/brian-tyler-scoring-josh-cooleys-transformers-one/ Brian Tyler Scoring Josh Cooley’s ‘Transformers One’ - Filmmusicreporter.com]</ref>
*June 7, 2024 — Production for the film is revealed to be finished in the following month.<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2024/06/07/work-on-transformers-one-animated-movie-is-set-to-wrap-up-in-july-513038 Work On Transformers: One Animated Movie Is Set To Wrap Up In July - TFW2005]</ref>
*June 10, 2024 — A work-in-progress cut of the film was screened at the {{w|Annecy International Animation Film Festival}} to a standing ovation.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/transformers-one-chris-hemsworth-scarlett-johansson-1235918820/ Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson’s ‘Transformers One’ Draws Laughs, Cheers in Its Annecy Debut - Hollywood Reporter]</ref>
*June 12, 2024 — Several media outlets, including representatives from TFWiki, are invited to an [[Transformers One London advance screening|advance screening]] hosted by di Bonaventura and Cooley.
*June 18, 2024 — Production designer Jason Scheier confirms animation for the film is finished.<ref>[https://twitter.com/ScheierJason/status/1803227407404638226/ Production Designer Jason Scheier's post on Twitter]</ref>
*June 27, 2024 — Sound-mixing for the film is finished, with production finally now complete around three months in advance of release.<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/C8vPCEUS3Bs/ @CooleyYourFaceOff - Instagram]</ref>
*July 9, 2024 — A panel for the film has been announced for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2024 on Thursday, July 25 at 11:45 am PST at Hall H.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2024/07/transformers-one-comic-con-1236004636/ Paramount Animation & Hasbro Entertainment’s ‘Transformers One’ Will Be More Than Meets The Eye At San Diego Comic-Con]</ref>
*July 13, 2024 — Chris Hemsworth, Bryan Tyree Henry, and Keegan-Michael Key reveal a new clip of the main cast transforming for the first time at the Kids' Choice Awards 2024.<ref>[https://twitter.com/transformers/status/1812285185427431646/ Post from the official Transformers account on Twitter]</ref>
*July 23, 2024 — Cooley discusses how ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' influenced ''One''.<ref>[https://ew.com/transformers-one-comic-con-preview-optimus-prime-megatron-origin-story-8676886 Transformers One director reveals how infamous 1986 animated movie influenced new prequel film]</ref> A screening of the finished film was shown at a fan-event at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles and in New York City.<ref>[https://comicbook.com/anime/news/transformers-one-review-first-reactions/ Transformers One First Reactions are Raving Over "Best Transformers Film to Date"]</ref> Hemsworth talks about voicing Optimus Prime in the film and how his depiction stands out.<ref>[https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/transformers-one-chris-hemsworth-optimus-prime-orion-pax/ Chris Hemsworth on Becoming Optimus Prime for Transformers One (Exclusive)]</ref>
*July 24, 2024 — Several new posters are released, along with the announcement of a new trailer the following day at the SDCC panel.<ref>[https://twutter.com/transformers/status/1816111093917573615/ Second trailer announcement on Twitter]</ref>
*July 25, 2024 — Details at the SDCC panel were revealed, along with the debut of the second trailer and Bucsemi's role announced to be Starscream.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2024/07/transformers-one-chris-hemsworth-comic-con-1236022134/ ‘Transformers One’ Ignites Comic-Con With Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry & Keegan-Michael Key: How Two Best Friends Became Immortal Enemies]</ref> [[Eric Pearson]] was revealed to be an additional writer.<ref>[https://www.awn.com/news/paramount-drops-transformers-one-trailer-2 Paramount Drops ‘Transformers One’ Trailer #2]</ref>
*August 21, 2024 — A new clip of Orion Pax and D-16 competing in the Iacon 5000 race is released on Paramount's YouTube channel.<ref>[https://youtu.be/7o-bGIBZxdc?feature=shared/ TRANSFORMERS ONE Film Clip IACON Race Begins (2024)]</ref>
*August 23, 2024 — Evan Michael Lee is revealed to be voicing Jazz.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Evanmichaellee/status/1826960202920530306/ Evan Michael Lee on Twitter]</ref>
*August 24, 2024 — [[Jon Bailey]], [[Jason Konopisos-Alvarez]], [[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] and [[Vanessa Liguori]] are revealed to be voicing Soundwave, Shockwave, Darkwing and Airachnid respectively, with Bailey reprising his role from ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]''.<ref>[https://punto.com.ph/paramount-pictures-our-crew-rolls-deep-meet-the-voice-cast-behind-the-characters-in-transformers-one-in-cinemas-september-18/ PARAMOUNT PICTURES : OUR CREW ROLLS DEEP: MEET THE VOICE CAST BEHIND THE CHARACTERS IN “TRANSFORMERS ONE,” IN CINEMAS SEPTEMBER 18 on Punzo.com]</ref>
*September 6, 2024 — The film's credits song, '[[If I Fall]]' by [[Quavo]], is released.<ref>[https://youtu.be/M3FCIf0HFnk?si=NB1J3bT9XNPOpKCc/ If I Fall (Music from the Motion Picture Transformers One / Lyric Video)]</ref>
*September 12, 2024 — In an interview, Lorenzo di Bonaventura clarifies that ''One'' doesn't directly connect to the live-action films, and describes them as "two universes" that will be "[kept] separate". However, he notes that ''One'' will likely have an influence on future live-action projects.<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/is-transformers-one-a-prequel-optimus-prime-origin-story-exclusive/ Is Transformers One a Prequel or Reboot? The Animated Movie's Origin Story Is Both, Director Says]</ref> The film's review embargo is also lifted, and the film debuts with an 89% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transformers-one-critic-reviews-are-out-currently-89-on-rotten-tomatoes/48337/ Transformers One Critic Reviews are Out, Currently 89% on Rotten Tomatoes]</ref>
*September 13, 2024 — The film's main theme is released.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFnuXrOH0fs/ Brian Tyler - Transformers One Theme | Transformers One (Music from the Motion Picture)]</ref>
*September 17, 2024 — In an interview with Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Josh Cooley, when asked again about ''One''{{'}}s relation to any of the live-action movies, di Bonaventura stated, "It was like 300 million years before the [[Transformers (film)|first Michael Bay movie]], so if that's a prequel, that's a prequel."<ref>[https://screenrant.com/transformers-one-lorenzo-di-bonaventura-and-josh-cooley-interview/ Transformers One Producer Hopes For Sequel & Confirms G.I. Joe Crossover]</ref>
*September 18, 2024 — An early fan event screening is held, preceded by a seven-minute featurette consisting of interview segments with Hemsworth, Henry, and Key, footage of main cast recording their dialogue, and some [https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1836584462341054907 hilarious trivia]. Attendees receive one of four exclusive keychains and poster prints featuring Orion Pax, D-16, B-127, or Elita-1.<ref>https://bleedingcool.com/movies/transformers-one-4-new-posters-tickets-go-on-sale-fan-screenings/</ref>
*September 20, 2024 — The first 300 ticket holders at participating theaters receive a poster print of {{w|Shadow the Hedgehog}} to promote the upcoming release of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]''.<ref>https://kotaku.com/sonic-3-shadow-print-transformers-one-theater-showtimes-1851649010</ref>

===Changes before, during, and after production===
[[File:DecepticonReflectorEvanConcept.jpg|thumb|right|300px|I will not be the weak link!]]
*Although the broad story beats of ''One'' remained more or less consistent over the course of the film's development, the first draft—written before Josh Cooley's involvement—was a silly, joke-heavy script that was very different in tone from the final product. When first brought on to direct, Cooley pushed for a more serious treatment to bring the film closer in line to the usual tone of the ''Transformers'' franchise.<ref name="gizmodo">[https://gizmodo.com/transformers-one-director-interview-josh-cooley-easter-eggs-2000489187 ''Transformers One'' Director Josh Cooley Talks Lore, Easter Eggs, and Alternate Versions] </ref>
*At one point, a bird robot based on ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Aerobolt]] would've played a role in the story.<ref>{{citesocial|quote= "In an older version of the story we explored Aerobolt being part of the story. It never made it into the final."|link=https://twitter.com/ScheierJason/status/1840624306465755358|name=Jason Scheier|site=Twitter|year=2024|month=9|day=30}}</ref>
*An early draft had a scene where Orion and D-16 played an arcade game together, which would've featured an 8-bit version of "The Touch". The gag was eventually dropped, although the arcade machine and a different reference to the song made it into the final film.<ref name="gizmodo" />
*Another draft had D-16 as a gladiator, alluding to another part of the character's standard origin story, but ultimately this concept was cut for time.<ref>[https://www.indiewire.com/features/animation/transformers-one-star-wars-old-republic-interview-1235017651/ ‘Transformers One’ Director Talks Bringing the Franchise to Its ‘Old Republic’ Era - Indiewire]</ref>
*Originally, the film would've ended on a smash cut to the film's title, accompanied by a rendition of the classic ''Transformers'' [[theme song]]. However, Cooley decided that the scene would be overly self-referential, and instead [[Brian Tyler]] scored an original composition to close out the film.<ref name="gizmodo" />
*A shot of Orion, Elita, Soundwave, and Shockwave exiting the train after crashing into Sentinel's tower is not in the final film, and only appears in promotional material.
*Concept art for Airachnid reveals she was initially planned to transform into a spider rather than a drone, which is reflected in her Cog Changers toy.
*Alpha Trion's death at the hands of Sentinel Prime was originally planned to show the old sage getting decapitated by the false Prime.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://twitter.com/TFHypeGuy/status/1886386574083944876|name=TFHypeGuy|site=Twitter|year=2025|month=2|day=3}}</ref>
*A bot resembling [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] was also present in concept art, but makes no appearance in the film proper. Unless he was the cameraman.
*Storyboards posted to artist Lim Zhi Kang's website reveal a scene from an earlier draft where the four main bots are forced into a fight with the train they ride to the surface, revealed to be an incarnation of [[Astrotrain (disambiguation)|Astrotrain]].<ref>[https://www.limzhikang.com/transformers-one TRANSFORMERS ONE {{!}} ZhiKang]</ref>

==Notes==
*As seen in the cast list above, Arcee and Chromia are voiced by Jinny Chung, the film's story / script coordinator. The Injured Racer is voiced by Dillon Bryan, Josh Cooley's assistant. Cooley himself cameos as Skywarp, the "Control Room Guys", and the PA system.
*Several international releases of the film are edited to cut away from Orion's "finger transformation" a few seconds earlier, as well as changing any mention of Bee's "knife hands" to refer to them as "sword hands" instead.
*The credits feature a dedication to former Hasbro CEO [[Brian Goldner]], who passed away in October 2021.
*Darkwing was named by Hasbro designer [[Mark Maher]], when his boss asked him "If this was a Decepticon flyer, who would it be?"<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/stories/markclonus/|name=Mark Maher|site=Instagram|year=2024|month=09|day=08}}</ref>
*The Autobot [[Insignia]] never appears within the story, only appearing at the beginning of the end credits.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''''Transformers/One''''' (トランスフォーマー/ONE ''Toransufōmā Wan'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''''Bin Ying Gam Gong: Choh Chi Pin''''' (變形金剛：初始篇, "Transformers: The Beginning")
*''French:'' '''''Transformers : Le Commencement''''' (France, "Transformers: The Beginning"), '''''Transformers : Un''''' (Canada, "Transformers: One")
*''Hungarian:'' '''''Transformers Egy''''' ("Transformers One")
*''Korean:'' '''''Transformer ONE''''' (트랜스포머 ONE ''Teuraenseupomeo ONE'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Qǐyuán''''' (变形金刚：起源, "Transformers: The Origin")
*''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: O Início''''' ("Transformers: The Beginning")
*''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Nachalo''''' (Трансформеры: Начало, "Transformers: The Beginning")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers One''''' (Spain), '''''Transformers : Uno''''' (Latin America, "Transformers: One")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''''Transformery: Pochatok''''' (Трансформери: Початок, "Transformers: The Beginning")
'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Transformers: Początek'''" ("Transformers: Begginign")

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

[[Category:One| ]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

A Stygi Situation

2025-08-02T10:51:05Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 19
|image=JBandGrimlockEmbrace StygiSituation.jpg
|caption=''It’s time to lose your self loathin’, excuse yourself, let hope in baby'' ''Play your card, be who you are, a loser, just… like…''
|prev=Home, Part 2
|next=Disarmed
|title="A Stygi Situation"
|season=1
|season ep=19
|airdate=[[July 28]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[April 6]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Isabel Galupo]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Matthew Humphreys]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/78bR70VqGb6csUzLtNrsTsIgZ5KNHbth/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Jawbreaker seeks to train with Grimlock, unaware of the danger that lies within.'''
==Synopsis==
[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] stomps through some woods, eventually coming across the Malto kids, who are collecting flowers and taking selfies. He chases them back to the Malto farm, and [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]], unable to get away as fast as the others due to the lack of an alternate mode, is tossed through the air by the Dinobot. [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] races out of the barn and tells Jawbreaker to keep back. He attempts and fails to transform his arm into a gun, forcing the rest of the Maltobots to step in. They're able to subdue the Dinobot, [[Twitch]]'s EMP forcing him to revert to bot mode.

Grimlock awakens in the [[Dugout]] in a panicked state, but [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] and Bumblebee calm him down. Jawbreaker is meanwhile complaining about being benched during fights, despite [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] trying to make him feel better. When Grimlock appears and apologizes for his earlier actions, Elita-1 suggests he could try training the young bots. Grimlock and Jawbreaker head to a junkyard where Grimlock tries to get Jawbreaker to bring out his inner fury on an old car. This leads to Jawbreaker apologizing to the car after accidentally breaking its wing mirror off. Grimlock demonstrates on a car himself, and encourages Jawbreaker to use his bot mode to its fullest, eventually giving Jawbreaker the confidence to toss cars around. Jawbreaker wants more instruction, but his mention of [[Bot Brawl]] gives Grimlock a brief flashback, and Grimlock decides they should instead go see what Elita's up to.

Elita turns out to be in the [[Dino-Mite Quarry|quarry]] throwing rocks at [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] as a training exercise. Jawbreaker immediate joins in, smashing some of the rocks to Hashtag's annoyance. He ends up accidentally knocking Hashtag out of the air, and as Elita helps her up, Grimlock reminds him not to let his inner power control him. Jawbreaker asks for more help training from Grimlock, but his enthusiasm triggers more flashbacks in Grimlock. The Dinobot's visor flashes red and he seismic-stomps the ground, knocking Jawbreaker over and crumbling nearby rock to reveal a [[dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaur]] fossil. Jawbreaker is captivated and to the surprise of Elita and Grimlock, [[Scanning|scans]] the fossil to give himself a dinosaur alternate mode which Mo identifies as a ''Stygimoloch''. Jawbreaker resumes trying to wrestle Grimlock, encouraging his teacher to change to dino mode. His rambunctiousness triggers more flashbacks to Bot Brawl for Grimlock. Elita-1 tries to calm him down, but Grimlock loses control, transforming to dino mode and departing at speed. Leaving Mo to look after Jawbreaker, Elita and Hashtag go after the Dinobot.

The citizens of [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]] flee as Grimlock starts rampaging through town. Elita and Hashtag arrive, and while Hashtag puts out fires, Elita tries to talk her friend down unsuccessfully, before trying to shoot him with her blasters set to stun. Meanwhile Mo helps Jawbreaker get over his anguish at enraging Grimlock. Elita and Hashtag are still struggling to subdue the rampaging Grimlock when Jawbreaker and Mo rejoin them. They're still left fleeing the Dinobot, but Jawbreaker is sure he can get through to Grimlock. Though it takes some property damage and headbutting Grimlock's seismic-stomp, Jawbreaker is eventually able to get through to Grimlock, who transforms back to bot mode and earns a hug from Jawbreaker.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in dream sequences.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (1)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (9)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (11)
|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] (7)
*[[Robby Malto]] (8)
*''[[Mandroid]]'' (10)
|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (2)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (3)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (4)
*[[Twitch]] (5)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (6)
}}

==Quotes==
"Listen, kid. Uhm...about last night and the incident in Philadelphia. I was, uh, not myself."
:—'''Grimlock''' apologizes to Jawbreaker.

"Jawbreaker, let's focus on making you feel more fierce, OK?" 
"Deal! Wait, but how? I mean I don't even have an alt mode." 
"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret: you don't need an alt mode to be your best self."
:—'''Grimlock''' and '''Jawbreaker''' get ready to start training.

"You taught me, the real us is always inside. I may be looking at a T-rex, but I see you, Grimlock." 
"...Thanks kid. I needed to hear that."
:—'''Jawbreaker''' successfully calms '''Grimlock'''.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* This episode takes place the morning after the events of the previous episode, "[[Home, Part 2]]"
* Jawbreaker calls back to the conversation he had with Elita, in "[[Outtakes]]", when saying he'll know in his spark what the right alt-mode for him is. Also calling back to that episode, Hashtag is present and among some of the first to get to see Jawbreaker's alt-mode, like he promised at the end of the episode.

===Transformers references===
* Grimlock's visor in bot mode alternates between the colors of blue and red, with red seeming to brought on when he's angry or in battle. This is a double-reference to Grimlock's visor being blue in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]], while it was red on his [[Grimlock_(G1)/toys#The_Transformers|original toy]].
* Fellow Dinobots [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] can be seen on the cover of comics scattered throughout the [[Dugout]]; an interior page also depicts Thrust. Whether or not they're still around in the present day of the show remains to be seen.

===Real-world references===

===Errors===
* A paleontology one and part of the (admittedly strange) commonality of dubious pachycephalosaurid representation in Transformers, but ''Stygimoloch'' and pachycephalosaurs as a family are not known from Pennsylvania. In the United States, they are instead found in the North West (Wyoming, Dakota, Alberta and Montana).
* In the first shot of Grimlock's dinosaur mode as he rampages across Witwicky, his chest has a G.H.O.S.T. Autobot symbol, instead of the usual red Autobot symbol.

===Trivia===

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Situação de Stygi'''" ("The Stygi Situation", dubbed-in title), "'''Um Problema Dinossauro'''" ("A Dinosaur Problem", Paramount+ catalogue title)
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Duel de dinosaures'''" ("Dinosaur duel")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 17]], 2023
:**Strangely, Jawbreaker refers to Dr. Meridian by his original name ''Mandroid'' rather than the translated name ''Homme-droïde'' that was used until then.

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Eine schwierige Situation'''" ("A Tough Situation")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dínóm-dánom'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 10]], 2023
::* The title is a wordplay combining "dínóm" (my dino) and the old-timey folk expression "dínom-dánom" (merrymaking).

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Situasi Stygi'''" ("A Stygi Situation")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sytuacja-transformacja'''" ("Situation-transformation)
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 10]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Home, Part 2

2025-08-02T10:50:49Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 18
|image=HashtagVsMandroid HomePart2.jpg
|caption=Beyond Cyberspace
|prev=Home, Part 1
|next=A Stygi Situation
|title="Home, Part 2"
|season=1
|season ep=18
|airdate=[[March 3]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[August 26]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writers=[[Mae Catt]], [[Nicole Dubuc]] and [[Dale Malinowski]]
|story by=Mae Catt, Nicole Dubuc, [[Isabel Galupo]], Dale Malinowski and [[Maasai Singleton]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[J.J. Conway]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/qT5PinxeumitcqIiZhFaTQTPApjHNoZo/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''The trip to Philly goes from bad to worse with the return of Mandroid.'''
==Synopsis==
[[File:MandroidReturns HomePart2.jpg|thumb|left|300px|''The wonder of the world is gone]]

With the Malto children and [[Terran]]s in tow, [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] races back to the Bot Brawl ring in hopes of finding [[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]]. They soon discover however Grimlock has long since left and the arena has been cleared out. Scouting the area, the group discover the remains of [[Brawl (ES)|Brawl]] still hanging from the ceiling. Bumblebee is horrified to discover the Decepticon bruiser has been drained entirely of Energon and his left arm missing. The moment is interrupted soon by a missile firing from the distance that sets the abandoned arena ablaze.

Coming to their senses, the group is horrified to see [[Mandroid]] emerging from the flames, now equipped with Brawl's clawed hand. Accused by [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] of being the one behind Bot Brawl, Mandroid only laughs saying they existed long before him and will exist long after him. When [[Twitch]] tries to reason with Mandroid, saying they're willing to forgive him for their past encounters, he only laughs, saying they're the ones who brought their war to his planet, and he won't rest until they're all wiped out, before deploying his latest invention against Bumblebee, a series of [[Arachnamech]]-style tentacles that gradually begin draining him of [[Energon]]. To deal with the remaining Terrans, Mandroid sics his Arachmech army on them, which combine into a giant-centipede like creature. With Mandroid departing to finish work on his latest invention, the Terrans and Maltos try to overcome the mechanical monstrosity. During the battle however, Hashtag discovers her Wifi powers grant her not just access to the city's Wifi but the ability to control any piece of technology hooked up to it. Using this to their advantage, the Maltos distract the Arachnamech combiner as they lure it directly into a series of oncoming trains controlled via Hashtag that destroys it.

Upon freeing Bumblebee, Hashtag surveys the area to find Mandroid in the upper rafters. Overcome with anger, she leaps up to grab him only for the mad scientist to scoff at her and place a badge on her chest. Twitch arrives soon after to discover to her horror that Mandroid has placed a control badge similar to the one used on Grimlock on Hashtag, making the Terran another one of his mindless drones. Gleeful at the success of his new invention, Mandroid departs as he orders the subservient Hashtag to make sure she returns to him with her Terran siblings, alive or in pieces. Horrified and reluctant to fight their sister, [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] takes the fight into the city above as the rest follow, leaving Bumblebee behind to try and regain his strength. Up above, Nightshade finds their attempts to remove the badge controlling their sister useless as this new version has a forcefield preventing its removal. Meanwhile, in Hashtag's inner virtual space, she finds herself locked out of her Wi-fi powers as a digital avatar of Mandroid appears before her saying she's entirely under his control. Mandroid then proceeds to mentally torture Hashtag with images of [[Robby Malto|Robby]], [[Mo Malto| Mo]], and [[Stevie]] saying she's all alone and unwelcome on Earth. Helpless to stop him, Hashtag is reduced to a quivering mess.

Back in the real world, the mind controlled-Hashtag's powers allow her to throw volley after volley of cars at her siblings. Unsure of what to do, Robby suggests they go get Bee but Twitch refuses, saying they can't leave their family behind. Approaching Hashtag alone at first, Twitch is soon joined in hands with her other siblings, vowing they aren't leaving without their sister. United together, Robby and Mo's [[cyber-sleeve]]s begin to glow as back at the cave where the [[Emberstone]] was found the waters in the cave send out a strange energy that seemingly supercharges the Maltos and Terrans. As they approach Hashtag using their powers to shield them from her attacks, the Malto family all grab a hold of her as they begin to overcome Mandroid's control of her through their connected sense of family and love for one another. As the digital avatar of Mandroid screams in impotent defiance, Hashtag finally manages regains control of her body. Coming to her senses and seeing the damage she caused, Hashtag begins to apologize before she's stopped by Twitch saying it wasn't her fault.

[[File:MandroidJoinsGHOST HomePart2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Sleep tight, Decepticons...]]
Bumblebee emerges from underground, lamenting how they were never able to find Grimlock and how this Bot Brawl ring likely isn't the only one in operation. Encouraged by words from Robby how that doesn't mean they'll let that stop them from trying to make the world safe for humans and Transformers, Bumblebee tries to depart. However, after all he's been through, he finally collapses from a combination of exhaustion and Energon deprivation. Seeing that their mentor is just sleeping, the Maltos depart Philadelphia to get back to [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]] before their parents wake up. As they roll out with the sun rising, [[Sam (ES)|Sam]] from earlier sees Stevie spray painting over the "Transformers Go Home" graffiti with a more welcoming "Transformers ''Are'' Home" message.

Elsewhere, a weakened Mandroid—his health rapidly deteriorating due to a lack of Energon to power his Cybertronian appendages—is carried by his Arachnamechs to a rendezvous with G.H.O.S.T. director [[Karen Croft|Agent Croft]], who is revealed to be one who was managing the Bot Brawl ring in Philadelphia. Croft tells Mandroid they'll be working much more closely together from now on, commissioning him to begin constructing more of his new control badges, and providing him with an [[energon patch]] to ensure he's healthy enough to do the work. When he says he'll need test subjects, Croft volunteers him the Decepticon prisoners of G.H.O.S.T. as Mandroid looks around with glee.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (2)

|c2=
*[[Brawl (ES)|Brawl]] (8)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (14)

|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]]
*[[Robby Malto]] (4)
*[[Mandroid]] (9)
*[[Sam (ES)|Sam]] (11)
*[[Stevie]] (12)
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (13)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (1)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (3)
*[[Twitch]] (5)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (7)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (6)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Arachnamech]]s (1)
}}

==Quotes==
"Of course, ''you're'' behind Bot Brawl!" 
"It'd be comforting if that were true, wouldn't it? However, the Bot Brawls were happening long before I arrived, and they'll continue long after I leave." 
:—'''Hashtag''' gets a harsh lesson about humanity from '''Mandroid'''.

"Don't listen! They're lying to you!" 
"You're wrong! I was '''never''' alone."
:—'''Mandroid''' gets told by '''Hashtag''' to shove it.

"Maltobots...roll out!"
:—'''Twitch''' puts a new spin on an old favorite.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Mandroid has rapidly deteriorated between this episode and the preceding one, following the addition of [[Brawl (ES)|Brawl]]'s left arm in place of his own. Evidently, the alterations he has performed to his biology require him to consume energon; without it, his health has taken a dive, leaving him gaunt, sallow, and with a rasping voice and cough. This degeneration was first hinted at back in "[[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]", in which Mandroid briefly slipped into a raspy voice while addressing the masquerading Terrans, punctuated by him clearing his throat to return his voice to normal.
* Thrash compares the Terrans temporarily supercharged powers to how he felt after soaking in the waters of the cave from "[[Friends and Family]]", only much greater. However, Robby and Mo seem to be turned off by just how powerful it felt.
* The "Maltobots" phrase was first used by Bumblebee in "[[Hashtag: Oops]]" and now seems to have been adopted by Twitch as the group's call-sign.
* Agent Croft's shady nature has been hinted at in previous episodes, from experimenting on [[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]] and ordering [[Jon Schloder|her brother]] to round up Decepticons regardless of threat levels in "[[Hashtag: Oops]]", to wanting to arrest [[Alex Malto|Alex]] and [[Dot Malto]] for harboring Bumblebee in "[[Security Protocols]]", to authorizing the dumping of toxic waste in "[[Bear Necessities]]".

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===

===Errors===
* When Mandroid is meeting with Agent Croft; two Arachnamechs are shown carrying him in. During the scene, one of them disappears entirely and is not shown again; even in wide shots.

===Trivia===
* As with "[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]" and "[[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]", most online distribution platforms do not list this episode separately from Part 1, instead choosing to combine both parts into a single 44-minute video.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Casa, Parte 2'''" ("Home, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?, 2024
::*For unknown reasons, both parts of "Home" were skipped by Paramount+ in Brazil and are currently available only on Netflix.
::*An inexplicable mixing error happens when Nightshade says "The badge, it has some kind of force field". Instead of doing a dramatic pause before saying "force field", the line is said all at once and is finished while Hashtag is closing in on them. Then, when it cuts back to Nightshade when they should be saying "force field", it instead plays the exact same voice clip from when Hashtag shouts "you're wrong!" to Mandroid later in the episode.

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Chez soi, partie 2'''" ("At home, part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 16]], 2023

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Heimat, Teil 2'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 11]], 2023

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hazai pálya, 2. rész'''" ("Home Turf, part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 9]], 2023

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rumah, Bagian 2'''" ("Home, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dom: część druga'''" ("Home: part two")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 9]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Home, Part 1

2025-08-02T10:50:22Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 17
|image=GrimlockVsThrashAndJawbreaker HomePart1.jpg
|caption="Welcome to the Pits, Mutherfragger!"
|prev=Warzone
|next=Home, Part 2
|title="Home, Part 1"
|season=1
|season ep=17
|airdate=[[March 3]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[August 26]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writers=[[Mae Catt]], [[Nicole Dubuc]] and [[Dale Malinowski]]
|story by=Mae Catt, Nicole Dubuc, [[Isabel Galupo]], Dale Malinowski and [[Maasai Singleton]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Alex Kwan]] & [[Sebastian Montes]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/qT5PinxeumitcqIiZhFaTQTPApjHNoZo/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''The kids and Terrans sneak out for a night of fun in Philadelphia, but their dreams of visiting the big city transform into a nightmare. '''
==Synopsis==
At an underground fighting arena, [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] dukes it out with [[Brawl (ES)|Brawl]] for the amusement of a crowd of humans. Emerging battered but victorious over the Decepticon brute, Bumblebee has little time to rest as his next hulking opponent is called into the arena.

At midnight in [[Philadelphia]], [[Mo Malto|Mo]] and [[Robby Malto|Robby]] are revealed to have snuck out to the big city to give their [[Terran]] siblings a chance at experiencing more of the world. Overwhelmed by the new opportunities presented by city life, the Terrans and Malto children depart in three groups to experience as much of the city as they can, with Robby trying to remind everyone to meet back in two hours. Nightshade, having departed alone, follows a man who temporarily accosted the Terrans to discover him trying to commit a mugging. Going into flight-mode, [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] rescues the attempted mugging victim and flies off.

As [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]], [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]], and Mo race off, they catch the attention of a woman, who eyes them up with interest. Approaching the Maltos to see if they're interested in seeing a "wrestling match", she lures the unsuspecting three to an underground fighting arena... and traps Jawbreaker in a caged elevator, intending to involuntarily enter the bulky bot into the brawl.

Meanwhile, at a skate park, Robby meets up with an old friend, Stevie, who he introduces to [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] and [[Twitch]]. However, Stevie keeps saying some carelessly hurtful things about Transformers, souring Robby's mood. His two Terran sisters are none the wiser and enjoy themselves at the park, with Twitch playing as Robby's hoverboard and Hashtag partially transforming her legs so she can skate on her rear tires. When she gets a little ''too'' enthusiastic and takes a ramp in van mode though, she picks herself up only to see some anti-Transformers graffiti prominently displayed in the park. Hurt by the message and by Stevie's attempts to downplay it as only meaning "Decepticons", the three Malto family members depart.

Back with Nightshade, they place their rescue victim down upon a building roof and observe on their purse a "she/they" pronouns badge. Introducing themself as Nightshade and stating their own pronouns, the young human introduces <choose><option>herself</option><option>themself</option></choose> as Sam. Thanking Nightshade for saving <choose><option>them</option><option>her</option></choose>, Sam surveys the city with Nightshade, agreeing with them on its beauty but lamenting you can never tell who to trust. When Sam notes <choose><option>they feel</option><option>she feels</option></choose> safe around other non-binary people, Nightshade takes note of the word "non-binary" and decides it is a good word to describe themself.

Back at the fighting arena, Jawbreaker is shocked to find his "Bot Brawl" opponent is none other than Bumblebee. Shocked himself to see his former student there, the two decide to give their audience a staged wrestling match instead of a life-and-death brawl, narrated by Frenzy and Laserbeak. Following the short "match" however, Bumblebee is quickly scheduled to face off against the current reigning champion; [[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]]. Surprised to see the Dinobot, Bee is initially overjoyed to see his old friend as he's been working undercover to find him since he went missing months ago. The joy, however, quickly evaporates when Grimlock begins attacking him, seemingly unaware of who Bumblebee is. Rushing in to defend their mentor, Mo takes note of a mysterious badge under Grimlock's chin. Observing all of this from the rafters, the surviving [[Mandroid|Dr. Meridian/Mandroid]] takes glee at the available spare parts he now has from the losers of the Bot Brawl fights and gloats over how he's taken control of the mighty Grimlock. Back in the arena, Mo and the others quickly deduce the chip on Grimlock is what's controlling him. Bee and the Maltos work together to clear an opening for Thrash to disable Grimlock's control badge. Upon being freed from the badge, the infuriated Dinobot goes on a rampage in T-Rex mode, scaring off the spectators and tearing the arena apart. Deciding to let Grimlock cool off, Bee and the others flee the arena as well.

Back with Robby, Twitch, and Hashtag, Robby assures his Terran sisters not to feel guilty about his disappointment with Stevie and Philadelphia's anti-Transformers bigotry. Soon rejoined by an exuberant Nightshade, they're all surprised to see Bumblebee returning in tow with Mo, Thrash, and Jawbreaker. Bumblebee informs them he has to go back to help Grimlock, but realizing he needs backup and that he can't wait for [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus]], he asks the Terrans if they're ready for their first real Autobot mission.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (1)
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (3)

|c2=
*[[Brawl (ES)|Brawl]] (2)
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (12)
*[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] (13)
*[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] (14)

|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] (3)
*[[Robby Malto]] (4)
*[[Sam (ES)|Sam]] (10)
*[[Stevie]] (11)
*[[Mandroid]] (15)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (5)
*[[Twitch]] (6)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (7)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (8)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (9)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Arachnamech]]s (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"Non-binary?" 
"People who aren't male or female. Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed." 
"I always knew my pronouns felt right, but...what a wonderful word for a wonderful experience."
:—'''Nightshade''' gets a lesson in terminology from '''Sam'''.

"''How can wrestling betray me like this?!''"
:—'''Jawbreaker'''

'''Frenzy:''' ''Heee''heheheheh! Looks like ''someone's'' going extinct! 
'''Laserbeak:''' And it ain't the dino! Heheheh heh heh, aheh, aahhh no seriously, he's in trouble.

"Finally, a weapon worthy of me. When all your pickings are from the losers, it's hard to be choosy."
:—'''Mandroid''' laments his options of Transformers. [[eBay]] customers can sympathize.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* One of the attendees of "Bot Brawl" appears to be [[Dan (ES)|Principal Dan]], the head of Robby and Mo's school in [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]]. Whether it's supposed to be him or just re-using a model to fill up the crowd remains to be seen.
* Humans seem to be completely unafraid of Frenzy and Laserbeak, despite them being Decepticons.

===Transformers references===
* Deactivated Transformers hanging helplessly from the ceiling at the Bot Brawls brings to mind what [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] infamously did to the Autobots in the Marvel comics issue, "[[The New Order]]".
* Laserbeak talking isn't unheard of in the franchise but his smarmy wrestling style commentary duo with Frenzy seems to reference his "Statler and Waldorf"-type act with [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] in [[John Barber]]'s ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' comic series.

===Real-world references===
[[File:HomePart1-WhenDinosaursRuledTheEarth.jpg|right|thumb|300px|After careful consideration, I've decided not to endorse your park.]]
* Bumblebee is billed as from "Parts Unknown" when entering the Bot Brawl arena, "Parts Unknown" being a popular billing for wrestlers who have some sort of mystique to them, associated mainly with {{w|The Ultimate Warrior}}.
* When Jawbreaker enters the Bot Brawl arena, Nova Storm's unconscious body is in what's popularly known as the "''{{w|Family Guy}}'' Death Pose," a stock pose used by many characters on the television series (generally after being knocked unconscious, despite its name); the most famous example is from the Season 10 episode "{{w|The Blind Side (Family Guy)|The Blind Side}}", in which family patriarch, {{w|Peter Griffin}} repeatedly falls down the stairs, landing in the pose each time.
* One of the moves Bumblebee performs on Jawbreaker in their wrestling match is "The People's Elbow", the signature cocky move of [[Dwayne Johnson|Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]].
* As the Autobots leave Grimlock behind in the arena, he roars as a "Hail 2 The King!" cardboard sign falls across him in the foreground, which is a reference to the ''Tyrannosaurus''{{'}}s final scene (and a falling "When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth" banner) in ''[[Jurassic Park]]''.
* Grimlock shooting off his fire into the air as he roars triumphantly also references [[Godzilla]].

===Errors===
* While under Mandroid's control Grimlock's eyes are blue. This is different from the effect of mind control seen in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]" and the next episode, where the victim's eyes turn white.

===Trivia===
* As with "[[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]" and "[[Age of Evolution, Part 1]]", most online distribution platforms do not list this episode separately from Part 2, instead choosing to combine both parts into a single 44-minute video.
*This is the first two part episode that gets separated in its initial airing on it's [[Canada|Canadian]] [[YTV]] broadcast.
*On the [[BBC]]'s streaming service, iPlayer, Nightshade and Sam's conversation is abruptly ended just before Sam mentions "nonbinary". The edit was seemingly made in June 2024, as the uncut episode was previously available on the service. In an email, the BBC claimed they excised the exchange "because it didn't provide the accuracy of language we need for our young audience, specifically a definition of the meaning of 'non-binary' which was given by one of the characters". The corporation defended themselves by noting, "We left in [other] dialogue [in the show] where characters discuss their pronouns which makes clear that they don’t identify themselves according to binary gender beliefs."

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Casa, Parte 1'''" ("Home, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?, 2024
::*For unknown reasons, both parts of "Home" were skipped by Paramount+ in Brazil and are currently available only on Netflix.
::*Nightshade's use of they/them pronouns when introducing themselves to Sam is replaced by them saying "I can see you have a good taste", referring to her pins. Sam's use of she/they pronouns is also replaced by Sam saying they're non-binary, to which Nightshade doesn't react. Since the rest of the scene is more faithfully translated, it causes confusion as to why Sam presumes Nightshade to also be non-binary and why Nightshade only reacts to the second time they hear that word.

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Chez soi, partie 1'''" ("At home, part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 10]], 2023

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Heimat, Teil 1'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 10]], 2023

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hazai pálya, 1. rész'''" ("Home Turf, part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 3]], 2023

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rumah, Bagian 1'''" ("Home, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jiā (Shàng)'''" (家（上）, "Home (Part 1)")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 2]], 2023
:**On the good side, Nightshade's non-binary identity isn't censored at all! On the dark side, Sam's identity is mistranslated, making the conversation very confusing:
:**Nightshade: 我好喜欢你的徽章，我的名字叫夜影，我的性别应该是他们。(I like your pins! My name is Nightshade. I think my gender is they/them.)
:::Sam: 谢谢，我是山姆，我是女生，我想你看出来了吧？（Thanks. I'm Sam. I am a girl. I think you can tell, right?）
:::Nightshade：这座城市可真漂亮！（What a wonderful city!）
:::Sam：很抱歉，刚才把你当成坏人。有时候，世界是一个很可怕的地方，无法判断善恶，根本不知道谁才是危险的人。(I'm sorry that I took you as a bad guy earlier. Sometimes, the world can be a scary place. It's hard to tell who's kind, who's dangerous.)
:::Nightshade：你这样说……确实挺失望。（What you said is... disappointing.）
:::Sam：嘿，没关系的，我知道和朋友或者非二元性别的人在一起是很安全的。（Hey, it's OK. I know I'm safe with my friends or non-binary people.）
:::Nightshade：非二元性别？（Non-binary?）
:::Sam：既不是男生也不是女生？啊，真的很抱歉，我不应该这样说你。（Neither male nor female? Oh! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you that.）
:::Nightshade：我使用的人称代词是他们，所以，对，这是一个很美妙的词，让我有过美妙的经历。（I use they/them pronouns. So, yes, this is a wonderful word, and has given me wonderful experiences before.）

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dom: część pierwsza'''" ("Home: part one")
:*Nightshade refferse to themself with pronouns "ono/jemu"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 3]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Warzone

2025-08-02T10:50:02Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 16
|image=ShockwaveVsMegatron Warzone.jpg
|caption=It is my logical opinion that you are sus
|prev=Bear Necessities
|next=Home, Part 1
|title="Warzone"
|season=1
|season ep=16
|airdate=[[March 3]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[August 19]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writers=[[Greg Johnson]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Matthew Humphreys]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/VsTWyXy8OBFGnWHlKRvVeeiRHJOdrKMi/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Megatron gives the Maltos a history lesson on the end of the war...one that becomes all too real.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:MegatronThrowsTheAllSpark Warzone.jpg|thumb|left|300px|[[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|"Isn't that usually my job?"]]]]
''In the final battle of the Transformers War, [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] and [[Optimus Prime (ES)| Optimus]] play hot potato with the [[AllSpark]] as they, and the rest of the Autobots, fight through the Decepticon Army in the hopes of returning it to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Intercepting the AllSpark himself from [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream's]] clutches, [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] just manages to toss the AllSpark back through the Spacebridge portal as Optimus fires off the shot that destroys said Spacebridge, and the AllSpark seemingly along with it.''

In the present, where the former battlefield is now [[Spacebridge Memorial Park]], [[Robby Malto|the Malto]] [[Mo Malto|siblings]] and [[Terran]]s playfully re-enact the final climatic battle, but the fun comes to an end when [[Twitch]] tosses the trashcan they were playing with at Megatron, which he instinctually destroys with his [[fusion cannon]] and then takes aim at the Malto youths. Coming to his senses, Megatron apologizes for scaring them, saying the place brings back painful memories for him. Apologizing themselves for the game possibly being disrespectful to play at a war memorial, the Terrans inquire as to why he brought them there in the first place, to which Megatron only responds with “learn”.

[[File:TwtichAndMegatron Warzone.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

Taking the group to the center of the park, where a holographic projection of the AllSpark appears covered in a type of blue flower, Robby and Mo inform their Terran siblings the flowers are [[Cybertronian remembrance flower]]s, that absorb and represent the sparks of Autobots and Decepticons who died in the final battle. Megatron shares with them that the war had reached the point where it was destroying Transformers as a species and he finally became convinced of the error of his way thanks to their mother; [[Dot Malto|Dorothy]], claiming the greater compassion she showed for his own troops than he did reminded him of how lost he’d become. Continuing the tour, Megatron then asks what the Terrans know of the AllSpark. Having only limited info provided by [[Alex Malto|their father]], Megatron explains that as the source of life for all Cybertronians, the AllSpark could also be used as a powerful weapon to create legions of new warriors in an instant. It was when the Decepticons moved the AllSpark off of Cybertron, depriving their planet of its life source, that Megatron realized the war had entered its darkest hour. Following Optimus' orders, Megatron had to sneak behind enemy lines to retrieve the AllSpark.

''As Megatron attempts to sneak into the Decepticons' base to retrieve the AllSpark, he is stopped by [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]. Trying to get his old friend to see reason, Megatron finds his efforts rebutted as Shockwave only responds that all the losses so far will be all be worth it as the Decepticons will rule both Earth and Cybertron. Revealing his ultimate plan of bringing to life a massive [[Protoform]] army currently on Cybertron that will overwhelm the Autobots, Megatron realizes his old friend has gone too far and forcibly shoves Shockwave into a [[stasis pod]] while he's distracted. Shockwave can only utter a spiteful “traitor” as he slowly goes into forced stasis. Optimus and Bumblebee soon arrive on the scene, congratulating Megatron for getting the AllSpark, and all three depart to go return it to Cybertron''.

Given the totality of the explosion caused when the Spacebridge was destroyed, Megatron’s greatest fear since the end of the war has been that, with AllSpark's destruction, Cybertron itself was also destroyed. With the arrival of the Terrans, his hope is now this new generation will able to find a better way towards the future than either the Autobots or Decepticons could. [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] however can only shake his head and walks off. Meanwhile, in the derelict Decepticon lab beneath the memorial, Shockwave’s stasis tube cracks open, allowing the long-forgotten Decepticon to reactivate.

[[File:ShockwaveReawakens Warzone.jpg|thumb|left|300px|[[Dark Cybertron (prophecy)|''No yesterday / No tomorrow / Just an everlasting now'']]]]
Thrash sits sullenly overlooking the names of those lost in the Great War as Mo comes to join him. Thrash vents about what he feels is the unfair burden of having to clean up the mess caused by Megatron and the Decepticons in the war despite the fact the Terrans had nothing to do with it. Mo however points out it’s probably more he doesn’t want them to fix his mistakes but not to make the same ones. Taking these words to heart, Thrash is ready go back and finish hearing Megatron’s lesson, only for the moment to be interrupted by Shockwave blasting his way onto the scene. Surveying the environment, Shockwave reacts with horror to see the Spacebridge destroyed and demands to know who’s responsible. Trying to prevent further escalation, Megatron informs Shockwave the war’s been over for years in the time since he was imprisoned. Refusing to listen, Shockwave grabs Thrash and keeps Megatron and the others at bay with the threat of the [[Immobilizer]]. Curious about these new lifeforms with Megatron, Shockwave performs a mind scan of Thrash, only to react with horror and toss Thrash to the ground, calling the Terran an abomination. Megatron claims the Terrans are the future of the species. Shockwave only scoffs and says he’ll betray them eventually just as he did the Decepticons and fires a blast at Megatron that sends him flying. [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]], [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]], and Twitch attempt to get Megatron out of the way of a shot from the Immobilizer that only hits them instead, locking them into stasis. An enraged Megatron battles it out with Shockwave, with the latter activating both a personal energy shield that entraps the both of them and initiating an overload of the Spacebridge’s old power core chambers.

[[File:StasisLockedShockwave Warzone.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Shockwave's already getting ready for his [[Shockwave_(G1)/toys#Notes|"Shackwave"]] redeco]]

With three of them incapacitated and the power core chamber set to blow, [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] takes Thrash and Robby with them to find a way to prevent the power chambers from exploding, while Mo is ordered to stay behind. Rushing into the inner layer of the Spacebridge chamber, Nightshade and the others get to working ripping out the wiring powering up the chambers, slowly shutting it off. Above ground, Megatron is shot out of the sky by Shockwave and buried under some rubble. Gradually approaching his former leader, Shockwave stops to see Mo vainly trying to move the rubble off of Megatron. Amused, Shockwave offers the child an attempt to leave, with Mo standing defiantly as Megatron uses the opportunity to fire off a shot from the Immobilizer at Shockwave, it having been knocked out of the latter’s grip earlier in the fight. Shockwave only snarls in a rage as he’s once again put into forced stasis. With Nightshade, Thrash, and Robby having disabled the rest of the power cores, Megatron uses the Immoblizer to release Hashtag, Twitch, and Jawbreaker.

As the morning approaches, the inert Shockwave is taken away by [[G.H.O.S.T.]] and the Terrans ask for one last bit of advice from Megatron before departing. Megatron tells them that there will come a day where they will have to reveal themselves to the world, imploring them to not let whatever disagreements they may have divide them and instead of trying to emulate their Autobot and Decepticon seniors to instead be better than them.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*''[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]]'' (1)
*''[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]]'' (4)
*''[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]]'' (6)
*''[[Elita-1_(ES)|Elita-1]]'' (8)
*''[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]]'' (11)

|c2=
*''[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]]'' (2)
*''[[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]]'' (3)
*''[[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]]'' (5)
*''[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]]'' (7)
*''[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]]'' (6)
*''[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]]'' (10)
*''[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]]'' (13)
*''[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]]'' (14)
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (15)
*''[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]]'' (16)
*''[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]]'' (12)
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (24)
|c3=
*''[[Dot Malto]]'' (9)
*[[Mo Malto]] (20)
*[[Robby Malto]] (21)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (17)
*[[Twitch]] (18)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (19)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (22)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (23)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Twitch''': "And now I, Megatron, shall end this war!" 
'''Hashtag''': "You'll have to deal with Starscream first!." 
'''Nightshade''': "Wait!" ''(makes a time out gesture)'' "''You're'' Soundwave! ''I'm'' Starscream!''"

"That war—I get why it started, but once it became Decepticons versus Autobots? I mean, yeah, sure, Megs ''finally'' cleaned up his mess, but ''he's'' the one who let it get that far! Now he wants to put the weight of it all on ''our'' shoulders you know? And I mean...why aren't you talking?" 
"I'm here to listen." 
"Well, what's he trying to teach us? All I've learned is that ''he'' messed up, and ''we're'' supposed to fix things." 
"Maybe he's trying to teach us not to make the same mistakes."
:—'''Thrash''' and '''Mo''' talk out Thrash's inter-generational issues.

"You think you can just start over with these lower class Cybrids?" 
"''Class?'' You have learned nothing!"
:—'''Shockwave''' gets called out by '''Megatron''' over forgetting the Decepticons' origins.

"When the day comes for you to emerge from hiding, expect harsh words from those who do not understand. Stand up for yourselves, yes. But remember, do not let your disagreements divide you. The Decepticons and Autobots could have accomplished so much more had we remembered that. Do not do what we did...do better."
:—'''Megatron''' gives some words of advice to the next generation.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* [[Alex Malto|Alex]] previously described the final battle and the destruction of the Spacebridge in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]". While his version was slightly exaggerated and framed through a very '80s lens, this is the first time we get to see how it actually happened.
* Megatron still bears a scar on the right side of his chest where [[Mandroid]] tried to surgically remove his arm in "[[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]".

===Transformers references===
* The [[AllSpark]] and the war fought over its life-giving properties have been a central component of many prior ''Transformers'' series. Its appearance in ''EarthSpark'' most resembles its appearance in the [[live-action film series]].
* Megatron refers to the final battle of the Transformers War with the AllSpark being in Decepticon hands as their "[[darkest hour]]".
* Megatron's disgust over Shockwave's "lower class" comment and his statement that he began the war so that "no one would kneel again" hearkens back to the class-based origins of the [[Great War (disambiguation)|Great War]] in many previous series, most notably the [[Aligned continuity family]] and the [[2005 IDW continuity]].
* The [[Cybertronian remembrance flower]]s that grow from the [[AllSpark]] are based on the flowers that first appear in [[The Not Knowing|issue 44]] of ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets The Eye]]'', where they were planted on the [[Mortilus|Necrobot]]'s planet. While their appearance is visually identical, they work slightly differently; each flower represents an Autobot, Decepticon, and human who died during the battle, and are not linked to particular killers.
* What appears to be Blitzwing and Astrotrain (in space shuttle mode) cameo in some images depicting scenes from the Transformers' war on Earth. They are the only Decepticons featured in it who haven't appeared in the series proper.
* Shockwave ends up locked in a [[stasis pod]] very reminiscent of the "[[stasis pod#2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon|stasis ''cells'']]" from the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], where they fill with a freezing gas to induce "cryo-[[stasis lock|stasis]]".
* A new version of the Immobilizer is introduced in this episode. It [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|debuted]] back in the original ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' cartoon and [[Immobilizer|new]] [[Time blaster|versions]] of it showed up in ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''. It largely seems to function identically to its previous incarnations.
*Shockwave's tentacled claw and mind probe is very similar to the [[cortical psychic patch]] that first appeared in the [[Transformers:_Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'']] cartoon, in which it was created by the series' own resident [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]].
* The memorial is also reminiscent of the [[Memorial Crater]] from the 2019 IDW continuity, being located in a crater from the final battle of the war it's memorializing, and featuring a list of the war dead's names.

===Real-world references===
* Spacebridge Memorial Park seems to take inspiration from the {{w|Vietnam Veterans Memorial}}, specifically the black stone walls with the names of those who died in the war etched on to them.

===Errors===
*When Megatron throws the Allspark into the Spacebridge, his fusion cannon is inexplicably missing from his arm. The image of Megatron throwing the Allspark is paused, the scene transitions to an identical image of the statue of Megatron throwing the Allspark, but the fusion cannon is now present on the statue in the memorial.

===Trivia===
* For those wondering, none of the Ancient Autobot script on the memorial walls spell anything.
* While not mentioned in the episode itself, a deleted scene would have elaborated that Megatron and the Maltos were visiting the memorial on the 15th anniversary of the war's end, something that Megatron had done on every anniversary since. This detail was also integrated into ''[[Transformers EarthSpark The Official Guidebook]]''.
* A set of deleted scenes from this episode would have continued the "[[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]] infiltrates G.H.O.S.T." plotline set up in "[[Decoy (episode)|Decoy]]", with Ravage stealing a remote-control device from G.H.O.S.T.'s evidence locker and bringing it back to [[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] and [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]]. Starscream then activates the device, which is what releases Shockwave instead of just the wear and tear of age causing his pod to malfunction. This deleted scene would have also confirmed the ''EarthSpark'' incarnation of Ravage to be female.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwlQSymGLHM Transformers EarthSpark Ep 16 deleted scenes: Prison Blues] on YouTube</ref>

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zona de Guerra'''" ("War Zone")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 4]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zone de guerre'''" ("War zone")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 9]], 2023
::*When the Terrans and Megatron discuss at the memorial, one of Thrash's lines is mistakenly pronounced by [[Karine Foviau]], Twitch's VA.

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kriegsgebiet'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 9]], 2023

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Villámháború'''" ("Blitzkrieg")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 2]], 2023
::*Previous episodes were released on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons simultaneously. Beginning with this episode, the series would premiere first on Nicktoons, while the Nickelodeon broadcast was pushed back by one week.

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zona Perang'''" ("Warzone")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zona di guerra'''" ("War zone")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 6]], 2023

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Strefa wojenna'''" ("War zone")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 2]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Bear Necessities

2025-08-02T10:49:13Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 15
|image=InfectedMotherBear Bear Necessities.jpg
|caption=''{{w|Cocaine Bear}} II'', directed by David Cronenbear.
|prev=Security Protocols
|next=Warzone
|title="Bear Necessities"
|season=1
|season ep=15
|airdate=[[March 3]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[August 19]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Isabel Galupo]]
|director= [[Alex Kwan]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/ypr7dyZ9mcDxMIGP4oFDVpaj7cx8dDRr/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Mother's Day goes wrong when Twitch kidnaps a baby bear, leading the Maltos to discover a toxic threat in the woods of Witwicky.'''

==Synopsis==
Somewhere in the outskirts of [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]], a mysterious man drops some boxes emblazoned with a [[G.H.O.S.T.]] insignia that begin to ominously glow as he departs.

Back at the Malto family farm, it’s Mother’s Day and with [[Alex Malto|Alex]] gone picking up her present, [[Dot Malto|Dot]] finds herself being catered to by her children and [[Terran]]s. During the gift giving session, [[Robby Malto|Robby]] learns from [[Twitch]] that she wasn’t able to find a gift for Dot due to her fretting over wanting to pick the perfect one. When Robby tells her that Dot will appreciate anything Twitch gets her and to go for something classic like flowers or a teddy bear, Twitch flies off, seemingly having gotten an idea. However, upon returning she reveals she's misinterpreted Robby’s statement and presents Dot with an actual bear cub. Knowing that the cub can’t be away from its mother at such a young age, Dot takes the cub to return it, bringing Robby and Twitch along with her. While driving on the way to find it's mother, Dot’s prosthetic leg suddenly fires off a laser shot that sends the car nearly whirling off a cliff. Dot soon realizes [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]]’s Mother’s Day gift to her was to alter her prosthetic leg with a series of enhancements triggered by keywords such as “fight”. The trio then have to continue the journey on foot after the cub escapes its cage and runs off into the woods.

[[File:ES-BearNecessities-RunningFromBear.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|[Exit, pursued by a bear.]]]
Back with [[Mo Malto|Mo]] and the others at the farm, they find themselves terrorized by the arrival of the mother bear. Fleeing into the woods they find [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]]’s advice she’s found online on how to fend off a bear attack to be unhelpful at best. Realizing the animal smells its cub on [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]], Mo and the others use him as bait to try and lure the mother back to its cub as they race off to find Dot. Meanwhile Dot, Twitch, and Robby discover more of the mysterious G.H.O.S.T. boxes left in the forest, which seem to be infecting the wildlife around them. Not having time for this mystery, they find the cub to have run to the edge of a steep waterfall. The trio is then surprisingly re-united with Mo and the others as they arrive with the mother bear closely trailing them. As the animal rages at them, it begins to glow purple along with spawning tentacles and a series of eye-stalks.

Realizing the mother bear has been mutated by eating toxic grubs that came from the mysterious G.H.O.S.T. boxes, Dot and most of the Maltos are flung around with ease by the mother as Robby tries to make a go at rescuing its cub from falling off the cliff into the waterfall. He finds himself having to be rescued by Twitch when the branch he uses as support breaks, though Jawbreaker luckily grabs the cub at the last minute. Dot for her part is able to finally take care of the infected bear (the mutated part seemingly separating itself from its original host) by using the modification Nightshade installed on her prosthetic leg, firing a well-placed laser shot at the mutation that seemingly causes it to break down and eventually dissipate.

[[File:TerransDanceInTheWoods BearNecessities.jpg|thumb|left|275px|The last, best, hope of the Cybertronian species]]
While thanking Nightshade for their gift, Dot reminds them that they need to ask for permission when modifying something personal such as Dot’s leg. Realizing their mistake, Nightshade apologizes and says they can work together in the future. With the mother and its cub re-united, Dot and others decide to make the best of their situation and have the rest of Mother’s Day out in the woods, just as Alex finds them. Dot spots a rare type of bird she’s been looking for and uses the occasion to mark it in her new bird watching journal gifted to her by Robby.

Elsewhere the mysterious man from earlier arrives at G.H.O.S.T.’s mountainside H.Q, revealing themselves to be one of their operatives as [[Karen Croft|Agent Croft]] looks on approvingly.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c3=
* Delivery Man (1)
*[[Alex Malto]] (2)
*[[Dot Malto]] (3)
*[[Robby Malto]] (6)
*[[Mo Malto]] (4)
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (10)
|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (5)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (6)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (7)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (8)
*[[Twitch]] (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"Happy Mother's Day!" 
"Twitch, did you take a baby from the woods?!" 
"Hmm, when you say like that, it sounds like a bad thing."
:—'''Twitch''' learns about the concept of kidnapping from '''Dot'''

"But I only wanted to make your life easier, Mom!" 
"I know your gift came from the heart, Nightshade, but something like this is deeply personal. And that means I'm the only one who decides what does and doesn't work for me." 
"Oh, I'm sorry I overstepped. So no more enhancements...ever? 
"I'm open to some small changes '''but''' they have to be ones we come up with together." 
"I'd like that."
:—'''Nightshade''' learns about personal boundaries from '''Dot'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===

===Transformers references===
*

===Real-world references===
*"Bear Necessities" is, of course, a reference to the song from the [[Disney]] adaptation of ''{{w|The Jungle Book (1967 film)|The Jungle Book}}''.
*Among the bad advice Hashtag finds online for dealing with bear attacks is to "give them a pic-a-nic basket", a reference to {{w|Yogi Bear}}.

===Errors===
* While probably a case of reusing a pre-existing bird model, the bird that Dot claims is a Trumpeter Swan at the end of the episode does not resemble the real life animal.

===Trivia===
* This is the first episode of the show to feature no [[Autobot]]s or [[Decepticon]]s.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Necessidades de urso'''" ("Bear necessities")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 4]], 2023

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Muttertag'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' March 4, 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le cadeau idéal'''" ("The perfect gift")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 28]], 2023

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Félelemtől ledermedve'''" ("Frozen with Fear", "-medve" also means "bear")
:*''Original airdate:'' April 28, 2023

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''熊的必要'''" ("The Necessities of Bear")
:** In the Mandarin version, Jawbreaker's line "O is for Optimus" is misread as "0(zero) is for Optimus", which is hilarious for the Chinese fans because "0(zero)" is the fandom term for "bottom".

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Niedzwiedzi prezent'''" ("Bear's gift")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 28]], 2023
:** Episodes title may be a refference to a polish phrase "Niedzwiedzia przysługa" which means a action with good intentions, that brings in more troubles

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Security Protocols

2025-08-02T10:49:00Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 14
|image=BreakdownAndBeeReunited SecurityProtocols.jpg
|caption="I don't have friends...I got family"
|prev=Missed Connection
|next=Bear Necessities
|title="Security Protocols"
|season=1
|season ep=14
|airdate=[[March 3]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[June 15]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Lorin Williams]]
|director= [[J.J. Conway]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/4ew0winBxgeK4UI25aQ9eIA9vE3vFD5E/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Agent Schloder is hot on the trail of exposing Bumblebee, while a simmering conflict between the Terrans finally boils over.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Bee Hides From Schloder SecurityProtocols.jpg|thumb|left|300px|There's a bee in this farm...]]

[[G.H.O.S.T.]] Cadets [[Kwan]], [[Conway]] and [[Rosato]] are scanning for [[energon]] signatures at [[Witwicky Raceway]] when they spot a high-powered sports car doing laps before using a boost to leave the arena. Once Rosato successfully scans the energon traces, Kwan contacts [[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]] to report they've located [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]].

[[Twitch]], ready for another day of training, finds [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]], [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] and [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] racing around the field, which [[Robby Malto|Robby]] tells her is helping Bumblebee train for the [[Witwicky 500]]. Twitch is just wondering where Bee is, when the Autobot speeds into view and boosts past the other racers to reach the finish line first. Unfortunately Robby records Bee hasn't improved on his time of 3:36. Bumblebee zooms off for another attempt, while Twitch, annoyed at not doing actual training, starts shooting at Thrash. Bumblebee arrives back in time to separate the pair, and tells them to go cool off in the [[dugout]].

The kids head down to the dugout, where Twitch and Thrash continue to argue. As Twitch is explaining that they need to train, an alarm sounds and the dugout goes into emergency lockdown mode. Nightshade explains that it's a measure they built in that triggers when a G.H.O.S.T. vehicle is detected nearby. Outside, Bumblebee spots Agent Schloder arriving and heads into the barn, only to find the dugout is sealed and he instead has to hide in the barn. Schloder heads into the barn looking for the Malto's sports car and is intercepted by [[Dot Malto]], who claims that the vehicle is in the shop. Over drinks in the kitchen, Scholder shows the trail of photos of Bumblebee winning races across the world and shares his theory that the energon traces found at each location suggest it's Bumblebee. When he shows the Maltos a photo of Bumblebee from the raceway, Alex suggests that maybe Bumblebee scanned his car, and Schloder enlists his help. In the dugout, the kids see the Agent taking Alex away and attempt to leave, only to discover that the dugout is now on lockdown for ten hours, due to a mistake on Nightshade's part, and the manual override fails. Also the escape pods haven't been installed yet.

After Schloder drives off with Alex, Dot goes to have a word with Bumblebee. Bee's been trying to lure out an old friend from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] who keeps entering races. When Dot points out that Schloder is laying a trap for him, Bumblebee points out he has [[energon suppressor]]s to mask his signature, and also that if he now doesn't show up, Schloder will realize someone is helping him. Dot has a plan.

At the raceway, Bumblebee finds [[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] hiding out in a building. The pair reflect on how the war drove them apart before Bee warns his friend about the trap G.H.O.S.T. have set. Breakdown is confident he can handle it, upsetting Bumblebee who has a family to think about, but further argument is interrupted as the pair have to hide while Cadet Conway wanders past. Breakdown makes a bet with Bumblebee, promising to retire if Bumblebee wins while Bumblebee will give him an energon suppressor if he wins.

Back in the dugout, as the countdown reaches five hours, Twitch is trying to think of ways for them to get out. Thrash is increasingly irritated by this, but as it turns out, Twitch is feeling like too much is depending on her. Thrash reassures her they're all in it together, and they go to watch the race, which [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] has tuned in to. Schloder and Alex take a seat at the raceway, and as Alex observes the audience are all G.H.O.S.T. agents, they're joined by [[Karen Croft|Agent Croft]]. The cars pull out onto the track, at which point Schloder recognizes Bumblebee and G.H.O.S.T. vehicles crash out onto the track, surrounding the racers before they can even start the race. The agents move in on Bumblebee, only for Dot to step out with the story she's been secretly borrowing Alex's car to race. Croft insists they scan for energon anyway, and Rosato's scanner picks up Breakdown. The Con transforms and does his best to evade the G.H.O.S.T. forces, however during the fight, a rogue projectile hits the pole for a scoreboard, sending it crashing towards Schloder and the agents nearby him. With no other choice, Bumblebee transforms and catches the scoreboard, saving the lives of all present but also revealing himself.

[[File:Breakdown Diversion Attempt SecurityProtocols.jpg|thumb|right|300px|There's always a choice. Just never had the guts to make the right one.]]
Still watching in the dugout, Twitch decides she needs out and starts attacking the door with her swords. G.H.O.S.T. soon has Bumblebee pinned down, but when Schloder orders him taken in, Breakdown frees the Autobot only for the pair to immediately be surrounded. Dot rigs a G.H.O.S.T. truck to crash into the arena, making an opening for Bee and Breakdown to escape through. A race ensues, and as the pair head for the only exit, they're blocked by Croft, who manages to force Breakdown to transform by firing at him. Bee tries to get his friend to move, but Breakdown has a new plan involving one of them acting as a diversion. They race towards the barricade, Breakdown taking heavy fire from the G.H.O.S.T. weapons before crashing and allowing Bumblebee to escape.

Croft stops Dot and Alex from leaving, but Schloder believes Bumblebee fooled the Maltos as much as anyone. Croft acquiesces and Schloder gives the Maltos a ride home. They arrive back just as the dugout finally frees the Terrans. [[Mo Malto|Mo]] realizes Bumblebee is missing, and her parents explain that he will have to go into hiding for now, to protect them all. Twitch is especially upset at the news and throws her swords to the ground, despite Thrash's attempts to assure her Bumblebee did what was right.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (4)

|c2=
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Kwan|Cadet Kwan]] (1)
*[[Conway|Cadet Conway]] (2)
*[[Rosato|Cadet Rosato]] (3)
*[[Robby Malto]] (6)
*[[Mo Malto]] (11)
*[[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]] (12)
*[[Dot Malto]] (13)
*[[Alex Malto]] (14)
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (16)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (5)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (7)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (8)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (9)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (10)

}}

==Quotes==
"I'm tired of feeling scared when my family is danger! What if we're not ready? What if Dad needs us? What if I don't know what to do or...? That's why training is always so important to me. We've had so many close calls and I...I don't know what if I would do if I lost any of you on my watch."
:—'''Twitch''' vents about the fears she has for her Terran siblings.

''(chuckles)'' "...Slowpoke."
:—'''Breakdown''' enjoys one last victory over '''Bumblebee''' as he helps his friend escape.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The Maltos previously fooled Schloder into thinking that Bumblebee was Alex's car back in "[[Classified]]".
*Schloder confirms that the Transformers' war ended 15 years prior, marking the first time we've been explicitly told how much time has passed since then.

===Transformers references===
* Breakdown mentions being a [[Stunticon (disambiguation)|Stunticon]].

===Real-world references===
* Several racetrack sponsor logos appear to reference real-life companies, albeit with fictional names such as FedUp, referencing FedEx; Ride, referencing Tide; and Sunny, referencing Sunoco, to name a few.

===Errors===

===Trivia===
*

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Protocolos de segurança'''" ("Security protocols")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 4]], 2023

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das große Rennen von Witwicky'''"
:*Alternate Title: Sicherheitsprotokolle
:*''Original airdate:'' March 4, 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Protocoles de sécurité'''" ("Security protocols")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 27]], 2023

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Az előírás szentírás'''" ("Instructions are Sacred Texts")
:*''Original airdate:'' April 27, 2023
:** Though the dub for the most part makes an effort to stay true to the [[The_Transformers_(Marvel_comic)|G1 Marvel Comics]]' Hungarian translations, Breakdown was understandably renamed from Vibrátor (Industrial Vibrator) to Membrán (Reed Valve).

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Protokoły bezpieczeństwa'''" ("Saftey protocols")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 27]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Missed Connection

2025-08-02T10:48:34Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 13
|image=NightshadeAndTarantulasArguing MissedConnections.jpg
|caption="{{w|Otto Octavius (film character)|Hello, Peter.}}"
|prev=Outtakes
|next=Security Protocols
|title="Missed Connection"
|season=1
|season ep=13
|airdate=[[March 3]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[June 14]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Mae Catt]]
|director=
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Matthew Humphreys]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/ODQxAIME9RIDYV7vDZ9OzHSTNJZOMS_t/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Nightshade's more isolated nature leads them to make an unexpected new friend.'''

==Synopsis==
On a day of no school with most of the whole Malto family enjoying some time out in the sun, [[Dot Malto|Dot]] wonders where [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] is. Her question is soon answered with an explosion originating from the [[dugout]] beneath the family barn. All rush inside to see one of Nightshade's inventions, the "[[Smart Trainer|Smart Trainer 5007]]", going haywire and shooting everything in sight. Following [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] taking it out, Nightshade gets to work on a new one and inquires if any of their siblings would like to assist them. With most just going back outside, Dot and [[Alex Malto|Alex]] try to talk to Nightshade, assuring them their siblings do care for them even if they don't share Nightshade's interests. Seeing Nightshade could use some other interests, Alex offers the young Terran a favorite childhood book of his: ''[[Winged Sentinel]]'', by local [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]] author [[D.E. O'Neil]]. Enraptured with the fantasy novel about daring heroes, Nightshade sets out to find O'Neil as they feel they have someone they can finally relate to.

Getting O'Neil's last known address thanks to [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]], Nightshade soon finds themself in a desolate graveyard, where it turns out the last known address was O'Neil's burial site. Nightshade's attention is soon taken by an odd lone human in the graveyard telling them to leave. Seeing the human is in fact a hologram, Nightshade follows it into what seems to be a secret laboratory hidden beneath the cemetery filled with Cybertronian and [[G.H.O.S.T.]]. tech. Nightshade is soon attacked by a giant mechanical spider ordering them to stay away from their work. Transforming to his bot mode and revealed to be a Decepticon, they soon realize Nightshade is still in their [[protoform]] body, and thus unaffiliated, and orders the young Terran to leave. Realizing this is rather un-Decepticon-like behavior, Nightshade introduces themself, and the Decepticon returns the favor by introducing himself as [[Tarantulas (ES)|Tarantulas]]. Seeing that Tarantulas is working on some sort of human holographic projector, Nightshade points out that while it was good at projecting an image of a human it lacked the behavioral pattern in order to properly fit in. Nightshade deduces this was because Tarantulas was working from a purely Cybertronian perspective, rather than trying to integrate it with Earth technology. Amazed and pleased with this info, Tarantulas says he'll soon be able to complete his invention and successfully go into hiding to avoid capture by G.H.O.S.T.

Nightshade hurries back to the Malto farm to get the remains of the Smart Trainer and presents it to Tarantulas as something he can use to finish his holographic projector. Wondering what the catch is, Nightshade only asks if they could provide assistance with working on it. Reluctantly agreeing, Nightshade eagerly rushes back into Tarantulas' lab. When asked by Nightshade why he would want to hide as a human, Tarantulas explains he'll be able to use the holographic projector to finally leave the Autobot/Decepticon war behind him. Comparing to it using an [[alternate mode]], Tarantulas also opens up the young Terran's eyes about the concept of alternate modes; saying they're as much about expressing who you are than "completing yourself". Taken in by these words, Nightshade boasts they'll use theirs to be a scientist and protector. Tarantulas can't help but admire Nightshade's strong sense of self at such a young age.

Completing the mobile holographic projector after a day's work, Tarantulas offers Nightshade the chance to come with him, believing the war between the Autobots and Decepticons will soon erupt again. Thanking him, Nightshade declines, saying they still have obligations in Witwicky. Back at the Malto farm, Nightshade asks Dot about how the world came to accept Megatron's change of heart. Dot says everyone deserves a second chance, though when Nightshades inquires about "Decepticons hiding in the shadows", Dot begins to wonder if Nightshade has been secretly meeting other Decepticons. All the while Tarantulas, in the form of his human avatar, observes them from a distance. Later that night, after misinterpreting a conversation between Dot and Alex, Tarantulas abducts the pair and takes them back to his lair. With the other Terrans and Malto children scrambling, Nightshade sneaks off, having correctly realized it was Taranutlas.

[[File:NightshadeOwlMode MissedConnection.jpg|thumb|300px|Nightshade, BEAST MODE!]]
Back at Tarantulas' lair, he prevents an escape attempt by Dot and Alex, threatening them with a modified G.H.O.S.T. device capable of wiping the memories of organics. Nightshade soon arrives on the scene, taking their parents and making a break for it. Tarantulas, doing this because he believes Nightshade is the Malto's prisoner, rushes after Nightshade, imploring them to stay, before webbing up Nightshade and preparing to erase the Malto's memories, Nightshade scans the statue of a Sentinel Owl and upgrades their form with a new owl alt-mode. Engaging in a battle with Tarantulas, their newfound power of flight quickly gives them the advantage over the more experienced Tarantulas. Bumblebee and the other Terrans arrive on the scene. Bumblebee attempts to arrest Tarantulas but Nightshade explains this was all one big misunderstanding and asks everyone to give Tarantulas a second chance. Hashtag alerts everyone that a G.H.O.S.T. unit is being dispatched to the area and they need to make a break for it. Seeing that Nightshade and their siblings are in hiding as much as he is, Tarantulas offers to lure G.H.O.S.T. away so the Maltos can escape undetected, saying he wants to make good on the second chance Nightshade is offering him.

Seeing that Tarantulas left behind the holographic projector, Nightshade departs with Alex as Tarantulas races through the forests trying to outpace G.H.O.S.T.'s helicopters.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (8)

|c2=
*[[Tarantulas (ES)|Tarantulas]] (11)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (1)
*[[Mo Malto]] (2)
*[[Alex Malto]] (7)
*[[Dot Malto]] (9)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (3)
*[[Twitch]] (4)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (5)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (6)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (10)

}}

==Quotes==
"Then behold the Smart Trainer 5007!" 
"Why 5007?" 
"The first 5,006 tried to destroy me."
:—'''Nightshade''' does their best [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] impression when answering '''Twitch's''' question.

"You are a Transformer. Another mode is your birthright." 
"I see no need for one. Aren't I sufficient as I am?" 
"Young one, alt-forms aren't meant to complete you as though you have a missing part. They further express who you already are."
:—'''Tarantulas''' teaches '''Nightshade''' there's more to alt-modes than just changing forms.

"You've made an interesting choice for an alt-mode. But you're still just the lost protoform I first met." 
"You've just proven you don't really know me, because I was never lost!"
:—'''Tarantulas''' witnesses '''Nightshade's''' resolve.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Nightshade's alt-mode being an owl was first, obliquely, hinted at in "[[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]" where they excitedly asked if they could be the owl bobblehead when planning "Operation: Terran Horse".

===Transformers references===
*Tarantulas being portrayed as an ultimately sympathetic character was inspired by his depiction in ''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|Sins of the Wreckers]]''.<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://twitter.com/MaeCatt/status/1631772264109838337|quote=More Earthspark episodes have dropped, including some written and story edited by me! As for Ep. 113, I wanted to give a special shout out to @NickRoche, whose impeccable comics featuring the Wreckers inspired me to pitch Tarantulas as that ep's foil to Nightshade.|name=Mae Catt|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=03|day=03}}</ref>

===Real-world references===
* Alex and Bumblebee's note that days off are made for teachers is actually a ''very'' sly reference to an infamous line from the ''{{w|Dexter's Laboratory}}'' episode "A Dad Cartoon", in which Dexter's dad declares "Ah, yes! Saturdays are made for dads! And dad's car!"<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://twitter.com/MaeCatt/status/1631890857812185059|quote=Please know this line, "Days off were made for teachers," is my own cheeky reference to Dexter Lab's "Ah, yea! Saturdays are made for dads. And dad's car."|name=Mae Catt|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=03|day=04}}</ref>
* Nightshade's Smart Trainer 5007 bears a strong resemblance to the lightsaber training drone from ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]''.
* D.E. O'Neil is named in reference to [[Denny O'Neil]].<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://twitter.com/MaeCatt/status/1633001702449381377|quote=That was intentional! I'm a huge fan of Denny O'Neil's work (especially for The Shadow), and given his connection to Transformers, I felt this would be an appropriate way to pay tribute.|name=Mae Catt|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=03|day=07}}</ref> The novel ''Winged Sentinel'', about a hero themed around a nocturnal flying animal, may be a reference to O'Neil's ''[[Batman]]'' work.

===Errors===
* Nightshade is seen holding the ''Winged Sentinel'' book when they follow the mobile holographic projector into Taratulas's secret laboratory, but the book suddenly disappears when they enter.

===Trivia===
*

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Conexão perdida'''" ("Lost connection")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 4]], 2023

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fehlende Verbindung'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' March 4, 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Connexion impossible'''" ("Connection failed")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 26]], 2023

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Küldetés összefüggés'''" ("Mission Correlation")
:*''Original airdate:'' April 26, 2023

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Brakujące łącze'''" ("Missing connection")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 26]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Outtakes

2025-08-02T10:48:15Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 12
|image=Jawbreaker Elita1 Outtakes.jpg
|prev=Hashtag: Oops
|next=Missed Connection
|title="Outtakes"
|season=1
|season ep=12
|airdate=[[March 3]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[June 13]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Maasai Singleton]]
|director=[[Alex Kwan]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/HDJiGAzMT9NN_hzltJzwo0xKUmX9drcY/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Unsure of what alt-mode is right for him, Jawbreaker interviews the other bots to help him decide.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:JawbreakerAndHashtag Outtakes.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
[[Mo Malto|Mo]] finds her father's video camera sitting around and grabs it, immediately press-ganging [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] into being the monster in a forced-perspective giant monster film. [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] interrupts filming as he's looking for their help in selecting an [[alternate mode]]. Thrash attempts to keep the film going by mock-attacking Jawbreaker, who remains oblivious to what they're doing. Jawbreaker next startles [[Dot Malto|Dot]] as she's in the process of working on some plumbing and asks about what Thrash and Mo were doing. She explains that Thrash's roaring was probably just him showing off for the camera, and the concept gives Jawbreaker the idea of filming people to get them to open up about picking alternate modes, so he asks if he can use the camera next. He finds [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] exercising in the barn, and after a rough start, attempts to interview his teacher in an attempt to learn about picking alt modes. However, his assumption that Bumblebee picked a new mode because his original choice was wrong ends up with him being kicked out of the barn.

[[File:MegatronAndJawbreakerChat Outtakes.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
Jawbreaker next finds [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] watching a show. Hashtag is keen to help with the filming and downloads a user guide for the camera. When he has trouble working the device, she adopts the role of camerabot. She immediately starts driving off in search of things to film, at which point he points out he doesn't have an alternate mode with which to follow her. They instead head into the [[dugout]], where Hashtag tries to get [[Twitch]] and Thrash to inspire Jawbreaker via a performance. Though their performance is pronounced awesome by all present, Hashtag sadly fails to capture any of it on film and it doesn't help Jawbreaker. Hashtag next carries Jawbreaker atop her vehicle mode to the naval yard, where [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] and [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] are still cleaning up after the battle with [[Mandroid]] while the whole area is cloaked under a [[privacy shield]]. Asked about how he picked an alternate mode, Megatron explains that at the end of the war, he was pressured to choose an Earth alternate mode as a sign of loyalty to his new allies, but refused until during a battle against the Seekers, he was forced to scan his current helicopter mode to protect Dot.

Hashtag attaches the camera to Jawbreaker's shoulder so he can do some filming himself while she "preps the climactic scene". Jawbreaker joins Elita-1 on her workout, albeit clumsily, and laments his inability to select an alternate mode. Elita points out he doesn't need one to help people, and explains that scanning an alt mode is done via his [[transformation cog|T-cog]], and that it took her forever to select an alt mode because nothing felt right. Jawbreaker is still worried that he's broken because of his disinterest in cars, but she points out he's not limited to scanning vehicles.

[[File:JawbreakerTire Outtakes.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
Finally Hashtag completes preparations — she's lined up a number of vehicles for Jawbreaker to pick from. He doesn't appreciate being pressured and knocks the camera out of her hand, causing it to hit an [[Arachnamech]] which immediately reactivates. Jawbreaker tells Hashtag he just wants to go home, however as the pair look for the missing camera, they spot the Arachnamech scurrying off with it. Hashtag gives chase in vehicle mode, but the Arachnamech evades her by climbing on shipping crates. She's still hung up on Jawbreaker selecting an alt mode for the climax of the movie they've been filming, but he refuses, believing his [[spark]] will know when it's time to scan something. They continue the chase, desperate to catch the Arachnamech before it reaches the edge of the shield, and Jawbreaker launches himself into the center of a huge tire, using it as an ersatz alt mode so he can crush the fleeing mech. Unfortunately the camera is also smashed, and Hashtag apologizes for her attempt to help. While Hashtag heads home, Jawbreaker grabs the videotape from the camera.

That night, Jawbreaker springs a surprise on Hashtag — with the help of the rest of the family, he's salvaged the movie and also got her a camera lens as a gift. As they sit down to watch the movie, Hashtag apologizes that they didn't find Jawbreaker an alt mode, but he explains he's content to wait for his spark to pick something.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in video footage.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (10)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (11)
*''[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]]'' (12)

|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] (1)
*[[Dot Malto]] (4)
*[[Robby Malto]] (8)
*[[Alex Malto]] (14)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (2)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (3)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (6)
*[[Twitch]] (7)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (13)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Arachnamech]]s (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"You didn't tell me we were going to see ''Megatron'' and ''Elita-1''! They look busy, we should go!" 
"''Psh'', come on. Everybody loves talking to you. Remember how Twitch and Thrash opened up? Come on, come on! Just go for it!"
:—'''Jawbreaker''' gets encouraged by '''Hashtag''' to talk to his elders

"What is it, young one?" 
"Well, sir, I'm interviewing bots so I can learn how to pick my alt-mode. How'd you choose yours? 
"...No one has ever asked me that question before."
:—'''Megatron''' is taken aback by '''Jawbreaker''' asking for advice.

"Autobots...work out!"
:—'''Elita''' puts her own spin on her [[Optimus Prime (ES)|boyfriend]]'s catchphrase.

"But what if I'm broken, or something? When I look at cars, I feel nothing." 
"Then maybe you weren't meant to be a vehicle." 
"You can scan other things?!" 
"Almost anything you want. It's up to you."
:—'''Jawbreaker's''' view of what an alt-mode can be is expanded by '''Elita'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Megatron and Elita are performing cleanup duty at the same naval yard where the battle against Mandroid's giant mech fortress took place in "[[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]". The battleship that was flung on top of the warehouse is still there and visible in many shots.
*Megatron has a scar on the side of his chest where [[Mandroid]] attempted to surgically remove his arm in the same episode.

===Transformers references===
*T-cog as a proper name for the transformation cog was introduced in ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'', while the concept of the cog itself dates back to "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]".

===Real-world references===
*Mo and Thrash's giant monster home movie is an obvious reference to [[Godzilla]]. The musical bit that plays during it even evokes the King of the Monsters' signature theme.
*Mo's red-haired humanoid lion action figure seems to reference {{w|Lion-O}} from ''{{w|ThunderCats}}''.

===Errors===
*

===Trivia===
*In the photograph of Dot holding baby Robby that sits on Alex's desk, Robby's wearing a baseball cap—an element from an earlier version of his character design that was dropped for the finalised series.
*The bag of popcorn Dot is holding features text in Tagalog, suggesting it's been imported from the Philippines: ''Bagyo Popcorn, Ang Sarap!'' (Storm Popcorn, It's Delicious!)

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Saídas'''" ("Exits")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 4]], 2023

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Kraft der Kamera'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' March 4, 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Scènes coupées'''" ("Deleted scenes")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 25]], 2023

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kulisszák mögött'''" ("Behind the Scenes")
:*''Original airdate:'' April 25, 2023

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tidak Termasuk'''" ("Not Included")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sceny'''" ("Scenes")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 25]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Hashtag: Oops

2025-08-02T10:48:00Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 11
|image=Hashtag Hashtagoops.jpg
|caption=''{{'}}Cause we are living in a digital world And I am a digital girl''
|prev=Age of Evolution, Part 2
|next=Outtakes
|title="Hashtag: Oops"
|season=1
|season ep=11
|airdate=[[March 3]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[June 12]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Bernard Badion]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Matthew Humphreys]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/YcuCBi1c_mkMiriGPV47eg6fuceztUzG/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Hashtag's new altmode gets her and Twitch in trouble when they run afoul of G.H.O.S.T.'''

==Synopsis==
At [[G.H.O.S.T.]] headquarters, [[Karen Croft|Agent Croft]] smugly observes [[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]] and [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] in their prison cells as some form of experiment is performed on the former that leaves the imprisoned Decepticon in a weakened state, while Starscream can only glare defiantly at her through the camera. She’s soon joined by [[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]], surprised at her presence. She informs him that she finds G.H.O.S.T.’s Decepticon quota to be low this month and orders him to get out there and, despite his protests, start finding Decepticons regardless if they’re currently a threat.

At the Malto farmstead, [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] calls the new [[Terran|Terrans]] to attention as he begins the first lesson plan of the day; choosing their alt-modes. He finds his efforts interrupted, first by some sass from [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] and then by [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] being more interested in showing off photos she found online of him sporting his classic V.W-inspired alt-mode. Ignoring their laughter, Bumblebee offers to let [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] take the lead on explaining the significance and importance of one’s alt-mode. Nightshade thanks them for the advice but departs saying they’re happy with how they are and have a project that requires their attention. [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] shows more interest but wants to make sure his alt-mode is perfect and not rush it so he departs as well. Left with only Hashtag, Bee lets Twitch take the lead on finding her sister an alt-mode. Still more interested in watching videos on the internet, Twitch hijacks her sister’s phone and runs off saying they're going into town, Hashtag following after protesting the barn’s the only place she gets a good Wi-Fi signal.

Hiding out somewhere in a store's parking lot in [[Witwicky (town)| Witwicky]], Twitch tells her sister to gaze around and find the perfect alt-mode, only to find her sister more concerned with getting a good Wi-Fi connection set up. Seeing this is getting nowhere, Twitch entices Hashtag with the sooner she gets an alt-mode the sooner they can go back home and get back on the Wi-Fi. Taking the bait, Hashtag begins looking around and scans the first thing to her liking; a G.H.O.S.T. surveillance van. Twitch panics at Hashtag’s choice of alt-mode and tries to get her sister to scan something else, only to be interrupted as three G.H.O.S.T. agents appear, ice cream in-hand. Mistaking the disguised Terran for their own van, they get in and drive off, with Twitch following in hot pursuit.

Back at the Malto Farm, Thrash tries to bond with Nightshade and introduces his sibling to [[Fluffy Ears]]. Taken in by the small calf’s cuteness, Thrash offers if there’s anything else he can help Nightshade to which they only respond by asking if Thrash knows anything about load-bearing timbers...

Back with Twitch and the hijacked Hashtag, Twitch implores her sister to remain calm and that she’ll get them out of this. Hashtag suddenly swerves as she finds herself grossed out by the driver's sticky "ice cream fingers". Coming up on what seems to be the side of a mountain, Hashtag warns Twitch to get out of the way, only for Hashtag to drive through it with seemingly no incident. Perplexed, Twitch learns G.H.O.S.T’s mountain base is shielded by a hologram. Unable to get past its security, she radios Bumblebee and alerts him to the situation.

Meanwhile, within G.H.O.S.T.’s base, the three agents who were driving Hashtag hurriedly depart the Terran-disguised van, believing it to cursed and muttering they’ll get maintenance to look at it. Alone now, Hashtag finds herself panicking, unsure of how she’ll be able to escape without exposing herself. Alerted that she’s now hooked up to G.H.O.S.T.’s internal Wi-fi, Hashtag’s consciousness is taken to some empty void where she’s presented with what looks to be a holographic control panel. Unsure of what she’s even looking at, she starts pressing all the options randomly, hoping something will work. Back in the physical world, Hashtag has completely hacked G.H.O.S.T.’s systems and inadvertently deactivates the containment cells of the many Decepticon prisoners, starting a jailbreak that frees [[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]], [[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] and worse, the self-replicating [[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]] and [[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]]!

Bumblebee arrives on the outskirts of G.H.O.S.T’s mountainside H.Q. and reassures the panicking Twitch that she made the right decision calling him. Seeing the hologram shielding deactivate, Bee scouts ahead and sees that the security systems and cameras have all been shut off. Sneaking in with Twitch, they find Hashtag and throw off the trail of GHOST security forces. With Bee and the Terran sisters reunited they deduce the cause of G.H.O.S.T.'s technical problems was Hashtag herself, thanks to the abilities granted by her new alt-mode. With some encouragement, Hashtag puts these newfound abilities to use to try and find a way for the trio to escape while the guards and Decepticon prisoners are busy distracted fighting one another. Taking temporary refuge in what turns out to be Skullcruncher’s cell, the bestial Decepticon goes into a berserker rampage upon seeing the G.H.O.S.T. agents, inadvertently providing cover the Maltobots' escape ''and'' knocking Soundwave out cold in his mad dash to freedom. After smashing through the mountainside walls, Skullcruncher finally notices who was following him and turns to smash Bumblebee, but ends up blasted from behind and incapacitated by Twitch. The trio makes a break for it before G.H.O.S.T. agents, lead by Agent Croft, arrive to survey the scene.

Arriving back at the Malto farm, Hashtag covers for her big sister by saying Twitch brought her into town to get a new vehicle mode. Impressed at her choice of alt-mode, Dot inquires if that’s seriously all that happened, with Bumblebee replying it wasn't anything they couldn’t handle. Asking where Nightshade is, they emerge from the barn to showcase what they’ve been working on all day; [[dugout|a new subterranean base]] with enough space to accommodate the whole Malto family (Fluffy Ears included). With Hashtag saying she can provide the Wi-Fi for their new base, Twitch makes good on her promise to her sister as the two sit down with the rest of the family to watch videos of sneezing puppies.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (10)

|c2=
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]] (1)
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] (3)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (16)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (17)
*[[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]] (18)
*[[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]] (19)

|c3=
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (2)
*[[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]] (4)
*[[Kwan|Cadet Kwan]] (11)
*[[Conway|Cadet Conway]] (12)
*[[Rosato|Cadet Rosato]] (13)
*[[Bagheri|Agent Bagheri]] (14)
*[[Bala|Agent Bala]] (15)
*[[Mo Malto]] (20)
*[[Robby Malto]] (21)
*[[Dot Malto]] (22)
*[[Alex Malto]] (23)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (5)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (6)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (7)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (8)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"Okay, focus up. I know it's a little tight in here with all the new members of our te—''family'', but while Robby and Mo are in human school, I thought we could talk about the most important part of being a Transformer." 
"Having an adequate space in which to learn and live?"
:—'''Bumblebee''' gets sassed by '''Nightshade'''.

"Come on, trust your big sister, you'll ''love'' having an alt-mode. The sooner you scan a vehicle, the sooner we can get you back home on the Wi-fi." 
"Ooh, then you can watch videos of sneezy puppies with me! Plus the singing cantaloupe!" 
"Deal."
:—'''Twitch''' plays to '''Hashtag's''' weaknesses.

"Impossible! Our security is tighter than toe shoes on Bigfoot!" 
"You don't need to be a dentist to know ''this is not a drill!''"
:—'''Agent Schloder''' has a way with words.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Following her minor appearance in "[[Age of Evolution, Part 1]]", we learn in this episode that [[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] and [[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]] are siblings.
* G.H.O.S.T. cadets [[Kwan]], [[Conway]] and [[Rosato]] previously made silent cameos in "Age of Evolution, Part 1" arriving at the G.H.O.S.T.-Autobot Alliance ceremony, while agent [[Bagheri]] previously made minor appearances in the same episode and "[[Classified]]". This is the first time any of them have been given proper names or dialogue. Agent [[Bala]], last seen getting attacked by [[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] in "[[House Rules]]", also makes a return.
* Soundwave was captured by G.H.O.S.T. back in "[[Decoy (episode)|Decoy]]", while Hardtop, Bombshell, Shrapnel, and Skullcruncher were all taken way back in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]".
* Hardtop lost his right arm in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]", which causes the guards' attempts to use a pair of Cybertronian-sized handcuffs on him to fail miserably.
* Also all the way back in episode one, Robby complained about the shoddy internet connection in Witwicky, thus his excitement when Hashtag announces her ability to be a mobile Wi-Fi spot.

===Transformers references===
* Bombshell and Shrapnel have a variation of the [[Insecticon (G1)|original Insecticons']] self-cloning abilities that had not been previously shown... but then again, the only other time we saw them was when they were under [[Mandroid|Dr. Meridian's]] mind-control, which leaves the subjects ''very'' dull-witted and seemingly incapable of little more thought than "smash thing".

===Real-world references===
* The G.H.O.S.T. cadets are all named and modeled after storyboard directors on the show—specifically [[Alex Kwan]], [[J.J. Conway]], and [[Jordan Rosato]].
* The sound made when Hashtag connects to Wi-Fi is the "handshaking" noise of a dial-up modem. Very anachronistic but still thematically appropriate.
* Hashtag does the "I'm in!" cliché hacker line when accessing G.H.O.S.T's systems during the jailbreak, then directly quotes the infamous line "{{w|All your base are belong to us}}" from ''{{w|Zero Wing}}'' when she successfully overtakes the security systems.

===Errors===
* Starscream's eyes are shown to be blue here rather than the red they were in "[[Decoy (episode)|Decoy]]". As they're still blue in official character renders and later episodes (that include flashbacks set much earlier), it seems the earlier red may have actually been the error.

===Trivia===
*

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hashtag, Opa!'''" ("Hashtag: Oops!")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 4]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hashtag : Oups'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 24]], 2023

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hashtag: Ups'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 4]], 2023
:** The episode had an error on some German websites (also on the German Nick website), the episode name was misspelled, instead of Hashtag: Oops the episode was called Hashtap: Oops.

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Butus Botok'''" ("Foolish Bots")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 24]], 2023
:** Nightshade now uses normal singular pronouns (Hungarian lacks gendered pronouns), contradicting the previous episode's dub in which they used plural pronouns.

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hashtag: Ups'''" ("Hashtag: Oops")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La trasformazione di Hashtag'''" ("Hashtag's transformation")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 6]], 2023

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hasztag: Ups'''" ("Hashtag: Oops")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 24]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Age of Evolution, Part 2

2025-08-02T10:47:35Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 10
|image=Earthspark AOEP2 staredown.jpg
|caption=Mandroid's Moving Castle
|prev=Age of Evolution, Part 1
|next=Hashtag: Oops
|title="Age of Evolution, Part 2"
|season=1
|season ep=10
|airdate=[[November 11]], [[2022]] (Paramount+) [[March 3]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writers=[[Nicole Dubuc]] & [[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[J.J. Conway]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/dM2rADnK3nw82eQFOvFP_5IIONiFvtQk/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''The Malto family, including its three newest members, band together to rescue Dot and Megatron from Mandroid.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Earthspark AOEP2 OutliningPlan.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
As the cave begins to collapse around them, the Maltos guide the new [[Terran]]s towards the exit, only to be cut off by a sudden rockslide that knocks the [[Emberstone]] from [[Mo Malto|Mo]]'s hands into the water. The family is nearly crushed by falling debris, but are saved by the new Terrans, who recognize them as family thanks to the link from their [[cyber-sleeve]]s. Outside, [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] is placing [[stasis cuffs]] on [[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] and [[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] while [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] desperately chips away at the rubble. Fortunately, the rubble is pushed away as the Maltos emerge unharmed, and while the Autobots are disappointed at the loss of the Emberstone, it pales in comparison to their joy at seeing more Terrans emerge. Optimus introduces himself, and the kids use their link to identify each of the newcomers: [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]], [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]], and [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]]. However, [[Alex Malto|Alex]]'s feelings are tempered by the knowledge that [[Dot Malto|Dot]] is still in [[Mandroid]]'s clutches. Sensing the others' sadness and fear, the new Terrans offer to help however they can. Knowing [[G.H.O.S.T.]] will be arriving soon to retrieve the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], Optimus suggests they reconvene elsewhere to plan the rescue. At [[Witwicky Donuts]], the group discusses "Operation Terran Horse": the new Terrans will pose as [[Decepticon]]s seeking safe haven from G.H.O.S.T. and the [[Autobot]]s, and offer up Optimus, [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] to Mandroid; when the time comes, they will free themselves and surround Mandroid. Meanwhile, Bumblebee will use the distraction to infiltrate the lab and extract Dot and [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]]. With the plan decided, the group rolls out.

At Mandroid's lab, he examines the captive Megatron, deciding to take his [[fusion cannon]] for himself first. As the machine begins cutting through Megatron's arm, Dot creeps across the lab's scaffolding, careful to avoid the [[Arachnamech]]s' sensors. Unable to get a message to her family, she severs a cable, cutting the power to Mandroid's laser cutter. He orders his Arachnamechs to pursue her as they begin to cover the lab's interior. Fortunately, the Maltos remember his lab's location from their last encounter and are now approaching it...but unfortunately, Mandroid has anticipated this and moved the entire facility elsewhere. With no leads, the group is forced to split into teams and search at random. Though Alex is concerned for her safety, Bumblebee reassures him that they'll find her, even playing his and Dot's song, "Purple Storm Clouds", to help him feel better. Meanwhile, Dot sees a naval yard through a window and finally gets a cell signal, but the vibration noise from all of Alex's missed texts alerts the Arachnamechs, and they destroy her phone before she can send a message. Dot attempts to escape them, nearly getting thrown into an incinerator, but she manages to throw her attacker in instead, causing a plume of purple smoke to emerge from the factory smokestacks. Seeing the purple smoke from a distance, Alex sees it as a sign and he and Bumblebee speed off to the naval yard, calling the others to follow.

[[File:Earthspark AOEP2 HashtagSkywarpTale.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
Dot is eventually cornered and restrained as Mandroid finishes repairing the damage to the machine and resumes slicing Megatron's arm. He prepares to have his Arachnamech kill Dot, but they are interrupted as Optimus, Twitch and Thrash enter in chains, flanked by their "captors". Hashtag attempts to pass herself off as Skywarp's former roommate "Sparkleplug", and the Terrans do their best to sell their phony story to Mandroid, despite Nightshade's obvious fear. Not far away, Bumblebee and the Maltos are sneaking through the naval yard, looking for an opening to extract the prisoners. Unfortunately, Mandroid sees right through their story and the fake Decepticon insignia stuck on them, and attacks the impostors. Optimus attempts to intervene, only to be restrained by the Arachnamechs, but Hashtag manages to get a lucky shot off and hits the one holding Dot captive, who in turn frees Megatron. Optimus frees himself as well, and the group begins tearing through the Arachnamechs and the rest of the lab. Now on the back foot, Mandroid decides to take drastic measures and enters a nearby elevator. The ground begins to violently shake beneath them, and those outside watch as the truth is revealed: the factory sits atop a giant mech, one Mandroid is now actively piloting as it emerges from the ground. As the mech shifts, the occupants are thrown from inside and plummet towards the ground, saved during their fall by Megatron and Twitch. As Dot embraces her children and Alex, their reunion is interrupted by Mandroid targeting the group with his mech's frontal laser cannon, and the group runs for cover from its enormous blast.

[[File:Earthspark AOEP2 GiantMechLaser.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
Optimus forms a new plan: one ground team will focus on providing cover fire, while another team focuses on taking out the mech's cameras so it can't target them. As they split up, Mandroid recognizes Alex and attempts to crush him, but he, [[Robby Malto|Robby]], Mo and Jawbreaker manage to avoid his blows and launch themselves onto the mech's leg. They begin taking out each of the cameras one by one, as Mandroid sends his Arachnamechs to intercept them. Unable to damage the titanic mech, Bumblebee has another idea, and he and Optimus begin wrapping a nearby battleship's anchor around its legs. Before Alex and Robby can take out the last camera, they are surrounded by Arachnamechs, only to be saved by Twitch and Megatron's cover fire, giving them the opportunity they need. As Robby attempts to pull the last camera loose, Mandroid tries to attack him, but the chain around his legs throws off the mech's balance, and the force of its shifting dislodges the last camera, sending the Maltos flying along with the Arachnamechs trying to pull the camera back. Twitch destroys their tether and catches her family as they destroy the last camera, but Mandroid continues to attack blindly in the hopes of landing a hit. His wild laserfire manages to clip Megatron, forcing the Decepticon to the ground, and his mech's legs finally prove stronger than the chain, flinging the battleship into the air and causing it to come crashing down, nearly crushing the Maltos.

[[File:Earthspark AOEP2 DestroyedMech.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
As they take cover beneath a nearby warehouse, Optimus declares the cannon to be their next target. Megatron volunteers to take it out, but his arm is too injured from Mandroid's laser cutter and the mech's cannon. Before anyone can stop her, Twitch takes off, dodging weaponsfire as she approaches the cannon. Before a swarm of Arachnamechs can overtake her, they are destroyed as Optimus, Bumblebee, and the rest of her family charge out, ready to have her back. As the cannon targets them and begins charging up, Twitch slices through its cables with her laser swords, causing the aiming mechanism to go haywire and fire right through the mech's front leg. As the Mech begins to explode and Mandroid seethes at his failure, Megatron gives Dot a signal and she fires a cannon shot from the battleship right through the mech causing it to topple backwards into the water, erupting into flames as it begins sinking with no sign of Mandroid. Mo introduces Dot to the three new Terrans, whom she thanks and welcomes into the family. Optimus turns to find Megatron nursing his wound and bemoaning that they had no G.H.O.S.T. backup, despite their supposed partnership. Optimus, however, turns Megatron's attention to the happy Malto family, pointing out that ''they'' are the true embodiment of the human-[[Transformer|Cybertronian]] alliance, and a sign of the future they hope to one day achieve.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (11)

|c2=
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (10)
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] (12)
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (13)

|c3=
*[[Alex Malto]] (6)
*[[Mo Malto]] (7)
*[[Robby Malto]] (8)
*[[Mandroid]] (14)
*[[Dot Malto]] (15)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (2)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (3)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (4)
*[[Twitch]] (5)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (9)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Arachnamech]]s (16)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Nightshade:''' Ooh, may I be the bobblehead? 
'''Optimus:''' Of course. Morgan, can you switch...um... 
'''Mo:''' Nightshade's pronouns are "they/them". 
'''Nightshade:''' "He" or "she" just doesn't fit who I am. 
'''Optimus:''' My apologies. Please switch ''their'' piece.

"Careful, little bird. Too much confidence often ends in rubble."
:—'''Megatron''' gives Twitch some guidance.

"Fine. I'll destroy you all blind! There's enough pests out there that if I swat, I'm bound to hit something!"
:—'''Mandroid''' refuses to give up.

"One thing you gotta learn about this family is..." 
"We do things together!"
:—'''Mo''' and '''Jawbreaker''' have their sister's back.

"Holy smokes! Is every day like this for you?" 
"Only every other day."
:—'''Nightshade''' and '''Robbie'''

"For all our purported partnership, somehow we always bear the scars." 
"Look again, old friend. ''This'' is the human-Cybertronian alliance. G.H.O.S.T. has growing to do, yes, but this is what we can achieve together, for the future of both our species."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus''' look to the future.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Nightshade asking to be represented by the owl bobblehead is a sneaky bit of foreshadowing, hinting at the owl alternate mode they'll receive just a few episodes later in "[[Missed Connection]]".
* The Maltos first check the site of Mandroid's original lab, where they previously encountered him in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]".
* When Alex explains that purple is the color of his relationship with Dot, he comments "Mo's lucky she wasn't named Violet." But really, they just held back from making it her ''first'' name; Mo's ''middle'' name is Violet, first mentioned in "[[House Rules]]".
* Mandroid briefly slips into a raspy voice and minor cough when confronting the disguised Terrans. We'll learn later in "[[Home, Part 2]]" this is a result of him grafting Cybertronian body parts to him.
* Like the previous episode, this one also continues the hints at Alex and Mandroid's shared past, first implied in "[[Traditions]]".

===Transformers references===
* The soda cans used to act out the "Operation: Terran Horse" plan have the brand name "[[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari]]" on them.

===Real-world references===
* The assorted snack foods include several items which seem to parallel real brands, such as Orbitade for Gatorade, and Zig Zag candy resembling Tic Tacs.
* "Operation Terran Horse" alludes to the legend of the {{w|Trojan Horse}} and the term's modern metaphorical use as a trick designed to lower someone's guard by masking their intentions.
*Bumblebee's use of the anchor to tie up the mech's legs feels more than a bit evocative of the [[Rebel Alliance]] using [[Snowspeeder]] tow cables to trip an [[AT-AT]] in ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|The Empire Strikes Back]]''.

===Errors===
* Mandroid addresses Dorothy Malto as "Major Malto" instead of "Lieutenant Malto." It's unknown whether the mistake is an error or intentional.

===Trivia===
* Most online distribution platforms, such as [[Paramount+]] and YouTube, do not list this episode separately from [[Age of Evolution, Part 1|Part 1]], instead choosing to combine both parts into a single 44-minute video.

===Foreign localization===
'''Cantonese'''
:*''Title:'' TBA
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 3]], 2023
:**Cantonese lacks gendered pronouns, so the dialog is changed to Optimus Prime forgetting Nightshade's name and Mo reminding him. Instead of saying "he or she just doesn't fit who I am", Nightshade says, "Maybe my name is just hard to remember."

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le temps de l'évolution - Partie 2'''" ("The time of evolution - Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 9]], 2022
:**As French lacks gendered possessive pronouns (''they/them'' exists as ''iel'', but ''their'' does not exist), Optimus Prime stops his phrase before Mo tells him that "Nightshade's name has to be used differently". Then Nightshade explains about their pronouns, like in the original version, before Optimus Prime apologizes and continues his phrase with the common pronoun. The scene makes little sense but it was almost impossible to translate, resulting in Optimus stopping his phrase and apologizing for unclear reasons.

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zeitalter der Evolution Teil 2'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' December 9, 2022

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Az evolúció kora, 2. rész'''" ("The age of evolution, part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' December 9, 2022
:**This episode marks the final voice acting role of [[Imre Szélyes]], who has been the primary Hungarian dubbing actor of various Optimus Prime incarnations since the [[2009]] film ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''. He passed away on [[April 25]], [[2023]], before the rest of the series was dubbed.
:**As Hungarian lacks gendered pronouns, Nightshade's character is reinterpreted in the dub; rather than being nonbinary, Nightshade refers to themselves in plural terms, using "we" and "us" instead of "I" and "me" to justify the plural pronoun, and the subject of gender is not brought up at all. This is the only episode to feature this quirk; Nightshade talks using normal singular pronouns in the rest of the dub.

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zaman Evolusi, Bagian 2'''" ("Age of Evolution, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' December 9, 2022

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'era dell'evoluzione parte 2'''" ("The age of evolution part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 11]], 2022
:**As Italian lacks gender neutral pronouns, Nightshade is described as "not identifying in either gender" and no pronoun is used when referring to them.

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Yōkoso! Nightshade Jawbreaker Hashtag'''" (ようこそ！ナイトシェード　ジョウブレイカー　ハッシュタグ, "Welcome! Nightshade, Jawbreaker, Hashtag")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 11]], 2024
:**Nightshade's Japanese first-person {{w|Japanese pronoun|pronoun}} is ''boku'' (僕, ボク), commonly used in real life as an informal pronoun by males, but can be used by women with tomboyish or feminist connotations, especially in media. However, the scene in which Optimus and the Terrans hash out their plan is severely truncated, which includes the scene in which Mo informs Optimus about Nightshade's pronouns.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jìnhuà Shídài (Xià)'''" (进化时代（下）, "Age of Evolution (Part 2)")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 22]], 2023
:**Mandarin lacks true gendered pronouns, only having gender in homophonic spelling variants for some written functions. In China, Nightshade's explanation of not liking gendered referencing is kept, but Nightshade is referenced in the third-person as ''tāmen'' (他们), the plural they/them. This grammar is not commonly used by the nonbinary community in China and creates a misunderstanding that Nightshade has multiple personalities. However, this might be an honest mistake because Nightshade's conversation about nonbinary identity is accurately translated in "[[Home, Part 1]]".

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Era Ewolucji Częśc 2'''" ("Age of Evolution 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 9]], 2022
:** Nightshade is reffered to with "ono/jego" pronouns.

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Era da evolução Pt 2'''" ("Age of evolution Pt 2", Brazil)
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 31]], 2022 (Brazil)
:**Nightshade is referred to by ''elu''/''delu'', an expression recently created and rapidly popularized on the Internet to accommodate the lack of standard neutral pronouns in Portuguese. (Masculine pronouns are ''ele''/''dele'' and feminine pronouns are ''ela''/''dela''.)

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2023 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Age of Evolution, Part 1

2025-08-02T10:47:07Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 9
|image=Earthspark-AOEP1-MandroidMegatronCaptive.jpg
|caption=
|prev=Decoy (episode)
|next=Age of Evolution, Part 2
|title="Age of Evolution, Part 1"
|season=1
|season ep=9
|airdate=[[November 11]], [[2022]] (Paramount+) [[March 3]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writers=[[Nicole Dubuc]] & [[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[J.J. Conway]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/dM2rADnK3nw82eQFOvFP_5IIONiFvtQk/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Mandroid sets his eyes on his latest targets, while the Terrans uncover the secrets of their creation.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Earthspark-AOEP1-RunForCover.jpg|thumb|left|300px|"[[Transform and Roll Out|Odd. I thought I only paid for six jets.]]"]]
It's a day for celebration as [[G.H.O.S.T.]] is holding a G.H.O.S.T.-[[Autobot]] Alliance ceremony at one of their bases. Agents [[Karen Croft|Croft]] and [[Jon Schloder|Schloder]] welcome [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] to the hangar, giving them their instructions for the ceremony. Megatron is none too pleased to be told what to do, but Optimus reminds him that their alliance with the humans is important and needs to be maintained. The Malto family is also in attendance, watching as two jets circle above the base. Suddenly, Optimus warns the others to get down as the jets begin firing on him, and the humans all scramble to take cover. Megatron and Optimus immediately recognize the attackers as [[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] and [[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]], who transform and demand Prime's left arm. As Optimus engages Skywarp and Megatron fends off Nova Storm, [[Alex Malto|Alex]] and [[Dot Malto|Dot]] do their best to shield [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]], quickly retreating to the hangar as they avoid the carnage around them. A news cameraman captures the whole thing live, his footage being seen back in the Maltos' barn by [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]], [[Twitch]] and [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]]. The [[Terran]]s are itching to rush over and protect their family, but Bumblebee reminds them that G.H.O.S.T. can't know they exist, trying to reassure them that Optimus and Megatron will take care of things.

Skywarp attempts to sever Optimus's arm, but Megatron slams Nova Storm into the ground and intervenes, knocking Skywarp away with his rotor. Nova Storm attempts to lunge at Prime, but he knocks her aside and the two faction leaders manage to get the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] pinned at weapon point. Megatron orders them to stand down, but Skywarp teleports out from under Prime's axe and decks Megatron, allowing the two Seekers to escape. Despite Optimus's claims that everyone saw the Seekers attack first, Megatron is convinced this will only increase the [[human]]s' hatred of their kind, storming off. As Croft cuts the footage off, [[Mandroid]] is shown watching from his new lab, where he is interrupted by the arrival of Skywarp and Nova Storm. He chastises the two for their failure as his [[Arachnamech]]s restrain them, reminding them that their parts will work for his plans just as easily as Prime's. However, he is glad to see Prime and Megatron painted in such a poor light by the media, knowing that he won't be able to wipe out the [[Transformer|Cybertronians]] while their strength exceeds his own. He then decides the Seekers will make perfect bait for his next plan...

[[File:Earthspark-AOEP1-UpsetTerrans.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
Optimus and the Maltos regroup back at the farm, where the Terrans remain indignant at being left behind and unable to protect their family. Optimus again echoes his worry that G.H.O.S.T. would claim the Terrans before they could understand their origins, something the young bots also impatiently seek answers for. He and Bumblebee explain that they believe the Cybertronians on Earth are the last of their kind, and that they suspect the Terrans are the key to rebuilding their species. When Twitch mentions being created by a glowing rock, Optimus has a moment of realization, and decides finding this rock has just become priority number one. As the Terrans celebrate, Optimus receives a call from Schloder—the Seekers have been apprehended and need to be taken to the holding facility. Optimus asks Dot to assist Megatron in transport, to which she agrees, and he and the others head off.

Megatron and Dot rendezvous with Schloder at a rail yard, where Skywarp and Nova Storm are currently bound up. Schloder orders them to put the Seekers in the transport, but as Megatron attempts to do so, Skywarp teleports herself and Nova Storm away as Arachnamechs burst from inside and bind Megatron. The G.H.O.S.T. agents reveal themselves as holographic disguises used by the Arachnamechs, and Dot attempts to hold them off while Megatron struggles in vain against the Seekers. As the Arachnamechs pin Dot down, "Schloder" similarly reveals himself to be Mandroid. While he is eager to take Megatron's arm in place of Prime's, he remains cordial to Dot, even when she punches him out, and asks her to follow him, to which she reluctantly agrees.

[[File:Earthspark AOEP1 trapped.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
At his lab, Mandroid explains to Dot that he too served in the war, having been drafted by G.H.O.S.T. as a roboticist. During the [[Battle of the Bay]], his building ended up getting struck by Autobot friendly fire. Though his Arachnamechs saved him, he lost his arm as a result, something Dot sympathizes with having similarly lost her leg during the encounter. As a result of his experience, Mandroid decided to become humanity's "hero" and rid the world of Cybertronians. As if to prove this, he reveals the restrained Megatron, his machine preparing to disassemble the Decepticon leader. Mandroid asks Dot to join his crusade, but is temporarily caught off guard by seeing the last name on her badge. Dot uses this as an opportunity to make a run for it, but Mandroid appears unfazed. Having grabbed Dot's badge, he orders Skywarp and Nova Storm to take it to Optimus as proof of Dot's capture, knowing he will come willingly to ensure her safety. He also orders them to retrieve the Terrans, as Dot watches from the shadows.

At long last, the Autobots and Maltos reach the cave, but Optimus and Bumblebee opt to wait outside, as they are too large to fit. Inside, they find the rock just where they left it, and Twitch and Thrash immediately propose Robby and Mo attempt to create more Terrans like themselves. However, their attempts to activate the rock yield no reaction, to their confusion, so they decide to take it to Optimus instead. Not far away, Skywarp and Nova Storm detect the Autobots and begin moving towards their location.

[[File:Earthspark-AOEP1-NewTerransBorn.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
As Optimus examines the rock, his suspicions are confirmed: it is the [[Emberstone]], the gift of [[Quintus Prime]]. Alex explains that Quintus was one of the [[Thirteen]] original Primes, who seeded life across the universe using the Emberstone. Though unsure how it came to be here, Optimus is now certain that the Terrans are the next natural evolution of their species. His musing is interrupted, however, when the Seekers appear and snatch the Emberstone, demanding Optimus, Bumblebee and the Terrans in exchange for Dot and Megatron's lives. The Maltos aren't going down without a fight, though, and as they ready, the kids hear the voice of Quintus Prime from the Emberstone: "Evolution of hope." Twitch manages to snatch the Emberstone back from Skywarp, and Optimus orders the family to retreat to the cave and guard it. As he and Bumblebee square off against the Seekers, their cockpits open to reveal Arachnamechs hiding inside, forcing the Autobots to contend with them as well.

As the Maltos return to the cave, a swarm of Arachnamechs follow them inside. Twitch and Thrash take up defensive positions while Alex guides Robby and Mo back to the plinth where they found the Emberstone. The Terrans attempt to fend off the attackers, but there are just too many and they quickly become overwhelmed. Desperate, Mo calls out to Quintus for aid. The Prime's voice rings out again, and a shockwave from the stone deactivates the Arachnamechs as the pool once again glows green. Realizing what is happening, the family watch as three new Terrans manifest from the pool's waters. Above ground, Bumblebee and Optimus restrain Skywarp and Nova Storm, but the latter fires a missile barrage at Bumblebee that ends up striking the cave, and Bumblebee can only watch in horror as the cave begins to collapse.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (17)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (5)
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] (14)
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Rosato|Cadet Rosato]] (1)
*[[Conway|Cadet Conway]] (2)
*[[Kwan|Cadet Kwan]] (3)
*[[G.H.O.S.T.]] agents (4)
*[[Bagheri|Agent Bagheri]] (7)
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (8)
*[[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]] (9)
*[[Mo Malto]] (10)
*[[Dot Malto]] (11)
*[[Robby Malto]] (12)
*[[Alex Malto]] (13)
*[[Mandroid]] (18)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (16)
*[[Twitch]] (17)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (21)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (22)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (23)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Arachnamech]]s (19)
*[[Quintus Prime]]* (20)
}}
:''*Voice-only appearance''

==Quotes==
'''Skywarp:''' Sorry to crash the peace party. 
'''Nova Storm:''' We propose a new partnership... 
'''Both:''' Your parts in pieces!

"Uhhhh...we're not going to fit, are we?" 
"Not even going to try."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Optimus''' know their limits.

"Megatron, relax. This will only hurt ''as much as I want it to.''"
:—'''Mandroid'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* ''Barely'' visible in the background of the main hangar is a banner reading "Ghost Autobot Alliance: 1984–2021", finally giving us an exact year in which the show takes place.
* This is the first time the Emberstone has been seen since the [[Secret Legacy, Part 1|pilot episode]].
* Dot was previously shown to have a prosthetic leg in "[[Moo-ving In]]", though here we learn the circumstances behind it.
* Alex previously implied in "[[Traditions]]" that he and Mandroid used to be colleagues, something once again hinted at with Mandroid's reaction to Dot's badge.

===Transformers references===
* Skywarp retains the teleporting ability of her [[Skywarp (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]].
* Skywarp shows she has a retractable buzzsaw that can fold out of her arm, similar to [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] from the live-action movies.
* When the kids first attempt to use the Emberstone, Alex tells them "[[The Touch|You've got the touch]]." A few notes from the song even play as he does so.
* The story of Quintus and the Emberstone was first told in ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus]]''. ''EarthSpark'' marks the artifact's first appearance in any media released since.

===Real-world references===
* A {{w|Wilhelm scream}} can be heard when Skywarp flings a G.H.O.S.T. agent at the rail yard.

===Errors===
* Though G.H.O.S.T. has been referred to in previous episodes as a ''secret'' military agency, they sure don't seem to have any problem with local news documenting their existence for all to see.
* Twitch is the first to use the name "Emberstone," saying "we still have nine combinations for interacting with the Emberstone," despite not knowing the stone's name or origin at this point.

===Trivia===
* Most online distribution platforms, such as [[Paramount+]], do not list this episode separately from [[Age of Evolution, Part 2|Part 2]], instead choosing to combine both parts into a single 44-minute video.
* While not explicitly shown, Croft's dialogue reveals that the [[President of the United States|President]] in this continuity is female.
* The Cybertronian text when the new Terrans are created translates to "evolution of hope", as Quintus said earlier.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Era da evolução Pt 1'''" ("Age of evolution Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 31]], 2022

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le temps de l'évolution - Partie 1'''" ("Evolution Time - Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 8]], 2022

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zeitalter der Evolution Teil 1'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' December 8, 2022

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Az evolúció kora, 1. rész'''" ("The Age of Evolution, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' December 8, 2022

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zaman Evolusi, Bagian 1'''" ("Age of Evolution, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' December 8, 2022

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'era dell'evoluzione parte 1'''" ("The age of evolution part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 11]], 2022

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Era ewolucji część1'''" ("Age of evolution part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 8]], 2022

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2023 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Decoy (episode)

2025-08-02T10:45:38Z

Silverfoil:

{{disambig2|the ''EarthSpark'' cartoon episode|the soft-rubber toys from Generation 1|Decoy (G1)}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 8
|image=EarthSpark-Decoy-Faceoff.jpg
|caption=Staring contests last a lot longer when you don't have the ability to blink.
|prev=Friends and Family
|next=Age of Evolution, Part 1
|season=1
|season ep=8
|title="Decoy"
|airdate=[[November 11]], [[2022]] (Paramount+) [[February 24]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writers=[[Isabel Galupo]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Alex Kwan]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/r27C5fQFFRHRExt3s19qIx_WtzHepd0a/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''While the Maltos train with Arcee, an encounter with rogue cassette-bots puts Optimus and Megatron at odds.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:EarthSpark-Decoy-MegatronGrabsLaserbeak.jpg|thumb|left|300px|A bird in the hand...]]
At an abandoned factory, [[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]] is being pursued by [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]], attempting to recover the ID badge she stole from [[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]]. While Prime fires futilely at the wily Decepticon, [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] is similarly engaged nearby with [[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]], who swoops in to take the badge from Ravage. Though Megatron manages to momentarily incapacitate Laserbeak, he's interrupted by the arrival of [[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]], who lands a sneak attack and grabs the badge before escaping into the nearby forest. As they begin searching for her, Optimus chastises Megatron for going easy on the criminals, but Megatron rebukes him, claiming the theft to be just a childish prank and that the [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|cassette-bots]] are harmless. As Optimus finally grabs Frenzy, she and the other cassette-bots unleash their Tri-Tone ability, creating powerful sonic waves that overwhelm Optimus and Megatron's sensors. Now free, the three resume harassing the two faction leaders, with Megatron refusing to use his [[fusion cannon]] on the small bots.

Meanwhile, [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] is attempting to teach the [[Terran]]s about using decoys. Unfortunately, [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] and [[Twitch]] fundamentally misunderstand the concept, leading them to simply begin fighting and claiming they each "decoyed" the other. Back at the farm, Bumblebee once again attempts to explain the use of a decoy to distract an enemy, inadvertently rhyming and leading [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] to turn the the lesson into a song:

''"Draw the enemy's eye away; Then boom-bang! Ruin their day!"''

[[File:EarthSpark-Decoy-ArceeBeeReunited.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
However, they're interrupted as Mo receives a phone call from Optimus, asking her to let Bumblebee know his comms aren't working—and he needs backup. The Terrans are eager to join the fight, but Bumblebee declares they're not ready and that someone more experienced—by which he means himself—will need to go. Just as he says this, the group receives an unexpected visitor: [[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]], who's stopped by to check up on Bumblebee. The others are awestruck by Arcee, having heard the stories of her many adventures, while Bumblebee, seeing an opportunity, decides Arcee will be their substitute teacher for the day and drives off. Though momentarily confused, Arcee quickly takes to her new role and gives the four her first lesson: digging trenches.

As Bumblebee arrives, he finds Optimus and Megatron continuing to struggle against the nimble cassette-bots, causing heavy destruction to the factory. Optimus chastises Bumblebee for not sending someone else, worrying about questions that may arise if [[G.H.O.S.T.]] discovers he is alive. Fortunately, Bumblebee packed some spare [[restraining bolt]]s and uses them to catch Frenzy and Ravage, [[mode lock]]ing them in cassette mode and placing them in Optimus's trailer. Megatron retrieves Laserbeak, but refuses to place the last restraining bolt on him, finding its use inhumane, and places him inside with the others. As Bumblebee bolts Laserbeak, Megatron questions G.H.O.S.T.'s treatment of the Decepticons to Optimus, who reminds him of the bargain G.H.O.S.T. made with the Cybertronians and the oath he took, but Megatron declares he wanted to save their people, not imprison them. Their debate is ultimately interrupted by Bumblebee, who reminds them they should be going.

As the exhausted Terrans and humans finally finish digging the trenches, Arcee compliments them on their good work...then tells them to fill the trenches again. This leads to a series of increasingly mundane tasks given by Arcee to the students, including perimeter patrol, hay-stacking, and tractor-polishing, increasingly grating on their nerves. Finally, Twitch has had enough and refuses to continue, with her siblings agreeing and pointing out how much better Bumblebee's instruction was. Arcee stares at them sternly...then laughs, telling them they finally passed her test. Seeing their confusion, Arcee explains that she was trying to teach the kids to speak up if something doesn't feel right, lest they allow others to take advantage of them. When Robby lets slip that the reason Arcee was subbing was because Bumblebee was heading on a mission, Arcee decides that they should all follow.

[[File:EarthSpark-Decoy-SoundwaveAndCassettes.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
Things remain tense as Optimus and Megatron transport the prisoners, continuing to debate G.H.O.S.T.'s trustworthiness, with Bumblebee attempting to lighten the mood with stories of training the Terrans. Unbeknownst to any of them, Laserbeak manages to send out a distress signal, and an unknown figure appears behind the convoy as they enter a tunnel, releasing an [[electromagnetic pulse]] that disables the restraining bolts. Now freed, the cassette-bots burst from the trailer and regroup with the figure, revealed to be their master, [[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]]. The Decepticon orders the cassette-bots to attack Megatron, leaving him to square off against the three alone while Optimus and Bumblebee attempt to fight Soundwave off. The two [[Autobot]]s are quickly overwhelmed, but help arrives in the form of Arcee and the Maltos. As the Terrans help Megatron, Bumblebee is knocked off a cliff by Soundwave, and his arm becomes trapped under a boulder at the bottom, rendering him immobile. Soundwave transforms to jet mode to finish the trapped Autobot, but is prevented by Arcee, who grabs onto him and forces him to land. Optimus and Megatron follow him down, with Megatron attacking his vengeful former subordinate, while Arcee frees Bumblebee and he runs off to protect the kids.

Back at the top of the cliff, the cassette bots unleash their Tri-Tone attack, putting the Maltos on the back foot. Robby exclaims they need something to block out the sound, prompting Mo to begin singing their song from earlier. As the others join in, even the cassette-bots can't help but sing along with the catchy tune, giving the Terrans an opening to attack. While each cassette-bot is occupied with a different opponent, Bumblebee catches all three off guard, taking them down in short order. Down below, Megatron is temporarily caught off guard by Soundwave calling him a traitor, but he is saved from an oncoming blast by Optimus, and the two reaffirm their commitment to protecting all Cybertronians. Now in sync, Optimus and Megatron work together to overpower Soundwave, as Arcee delivers the final blow and knocks him out.

[[File:EarthSpark-Decoy-SoundwaveUnleashesRavage.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
As the prisoners are loaded into Optimus's trailer, Arcee excitedly talks about all the exciting drills and lessons she intends to put the kids through, but Bumblebee reaffirms that she was just a substitute and that teaching them is ''his'' responsibility. Arcee grins; ''that'' was Bumblebee's test, and he just passed as well. Optimus congratulates Bumblebee on a job well done, though he still orders Bumblebee to write up a full field report as punishment for disobeying orders. As the others drive off, Megatron thanks Optimus for having his back and apologizes for what he said. Optimus too apologizes, agreeing to release the cassette-bots if Megatron will vouch for them. Megatron destroys the restraining bolts, warning the cassette-bots not to waste this lone second chance they are being given. As they retreat, Ravage runs back in the opposite direction despite Frenzy's protests.

Later at G.H.O.S.T.'s holding facility, Soundwave is placed in containment. Upon being left alone, he declares the decoy operation was successful and uses his sonic pulses to create a small gap in his cell's barrier...as Ravage emerges from his chest and leaps right through it. Given reconnaissance orders by Soundwave, she takes off, observed with glee by the occupant of the next cell: [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]]!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (8)
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] (12)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (14)

|c2=
*[[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]] (1)
*[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] (3)
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (4)
*[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] (5)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (13)
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] (10)
*[[Robby Malto]] (11)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (7)
*[[Twitch]] (9)

|c5=
*[[Fluffy Ears]] (6)
}}

==Quotes==
"Field report: Twitch still hasn't fallen for my amazing decoy. Fluffy Ears remains cute." 
"And a ''horrible'' source of cover."
:—'''Thrash''' attempts to show off his stealthiness to '''Bumblebee'''.

''(sigh)'' "I miss adults."
:—'''Bumblebee''' needs a break from teaching.

"Optimus, does it not concern you that our human allies control where Decepticons live and what form they take, even in so-called times of peace? This is not freedom."
:—'''Megatron''' calls out Mr. "Freedom is part of my catchphrase" on Decepticon rights.

'''Megatron:''' ''Hah!'' 
'''Optimus:''' Something funny to you, Megatron? 
'''Megatron:''' Just that you cannot trust G.H.O.S.T. with the knowledge of your own scout, yet you are content to deliver every Decepticon you encounter into their hands! 
'''Bumblebee:''' ...doesn't actually sound like he thinks that's funny.

''(hums decoy song)'' "Curse that annoyingly catchy tune!"
:—Even the mighty '''Megatron''' isn't immune to ear worms.

"Do not make this personal, Soundwave!" 
"It already is."
:—No love lost between '''Megatron''' and '''Soundwave'''.

"What even ''is'' a cassette anyway?"
:—'''Robby''' makes all the old-school fans age another 30 years with just one line.

"Perhaps your leadership style is not so different from my own..." 
"Or maybe you're growing to appreciate mine."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus''', ro-bros for life.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Both Soundwave and Starscream were previously shown among Megatron's troops in [[Alex Malto|Alex]]'s story back in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]"; this is the first time we're getting a look at their "real-world" designs.
* Soundwave's cassettes were mentioned in passing in the [[Friends and Family|previous episode]].
* Also from the previous episode, the raccoon that accosted Bumblebee has taken up residence on an old tractor at the Maltos'.
* Optimus tells Bumblebee to update [[Teletraan-1 (ES)|Teletraan-1]] with his report, which was last seen in G.H.O.S.T. HQ in "[[Classified]]". Considering G.H.O.S.T. isn't supposed to know Bumblebee is alive, that, uh...may be a little tricky.
* G.H.O.S.T.'s Decepticon holding facility was first introduced in "Classified".
* Starscream sports red optics in his brief appearance at the end of the episode, yet all subsequent appearances thus far have shown him to have ''blue'' optics- even in flashbacks. What significance this has, if any, is unknown for now.

===Transformers references===
* Though Soundwave no longer transforms into a tape deck, his minions all retain the (very large) cassette [[alternate mode]]s of their Generation 1 counterparts; even Robby comments on their dated nature.
* Starscream is voiced by [[Steve Blum]], who previously portrayed [[Starscream (WFC)|a different Starscream]] in the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' cartoons.

===Real-world references===
*

===Animation and technical errors===
*

===Trivia===
* This episode marks the first appearance of a female incarnation of [[Frenzy (disambiguation)|Frenzy]] (and decked out in purple, dodging [[FIRRIB|the whole red/blue thing]]). Notably, she appears on her own rather than accompanied by her usual counterpart [[Rumble (disambiguation)|Rumble]].
* Ravage infiltrating G.H.O.S.T. for Soundwave and Starscream remains unresolved, outside of [[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] referencing an "original plan" while breaking out in "[[What Dwells Within]]". A deleted scene for "[[Warzone]]", uploaded by storyboard artist [[Stephanie Ressler]], revealed that Ravage was to steal a remote for Starscream that would open [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]'s stasis pod to attack Megatron when he is at the [[Spacebridge Memorial Park]] for the anniversary of war's end.<ref>[https://youtu.be/bwlQSymGLHM Transformers EarthSpark Ep 16 deleted scenes: Prison Blues] on YouTube</ref>

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Armadilha'''" ("Trap")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 23]], 2022

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le leurre'''" ("The Bait")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], 2022

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Köder'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], 2022

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Csalétek'''" ("Bait")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], 2022
:**Though given a high-pitched voice, Frenzy is a male in this dub.

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Umpan'''" ("Decoy")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], 2022

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'esca'''" ("The lure")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 11]], 2022

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Pułapka'''" ("Trap")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], 2022

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2023 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Friends and Family

2025-08-02T10:45:25Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 7
|image=EarthSpark-FriendsAndFamily-MoAndThrash.jpg
|caption=Dihydrogen monoxide: good for your health.
|prev=Traditions
|next=Decoy (episode)
|title="Family and Friends"
|season=1
|season ep=7
|airdate=[[November 11]], [[2022]] (Paramount+) [[February 24]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Brian Hohlfeld]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[J.J. Conway]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/3q8YJyfKcLIKbUNzaAIF7L2Zgpnlqfst/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''As Mo and Robby start their first day of school, Thrash and Twitch start to experience strange malfunctions.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:EarthSpark-FriendsAndFamily-Terranpile.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] has [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] running back and forth, however a malfunction with Thrash's foot causes the Terran to wheel into Twitch, resulting in the pair of them crashing to the ground. As Bumblebee expresses surprise that they're tired already, Twitch's right rotor also triggers randomly, sending her into the nearby wall. They decide it must be a side effect of the jitters [[Mo Malto|Mo]] and [[Robby Malto|Robby]] are feeling in anticipation of the first day of school. Bumblebee doesn't help their emotional states when he mentions the kids will be making new friends there.

As Mo gets ready for school, [[Dot Malto|her mother]] tries to reassure her and she insists she's fine, though she and Robby engage in some good natured ribbing as the latter appears down the stairs. As they emerge from the house to where the Bots are training, Thrash loses control fully and they have to dive for cover as he barrels towards them in motorcycle mode. He manages to transform just in time to avoid crashing into [[Alex Malto|Alex]] and apologizes for his inadvertent rampage. Twitch suggests she and Thrash could go to school with the humans, but as Dot reminds her, they're supposed to be staying secret.

[[File:EarthSpark-FriendsAndFamily-MoFeedback.jpg|thumb|right|300px|''Put your right foot in'' ''Put your right foot out'' ''Put your right foot in'' ''And you shake it all about'' ''You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around'' ''That's what it's all about!'']]
Robby and Mo arrive at [[Witwicky Charter|school]]. As Mo's teacher, Ms. Landers, is out, [[Smelt|Mr. Smelt]] has her join his class with Robby for the day. The class is seated alphabetically, so Smelt has the existing kids make a space which upsets [[Mischa]]. She attempts to switch seats with Mo so she can continue sitting next to [[Bruno Lowe|Bruno]], only for the teacher to spot the move and chastise Mo. The kids' frustration feeds back to Thrash and Twitch via their emotional link, distracting them from Bumblebee's scouting training. Bee decides instead to try taking the pair on a recon mission to the school, where they listen in on Mo and Robby's conversation with Bruno and Mischa, but when the kids mention having made new friends and Mischa doesn't believe them, Thrash's anger feeds back to Robby. In the car park, Bumblebee is forced to switch to vehicle mode when he's almost discovered by Mr. Smelt and decides it's time to can the mission, driving off as Smelt returns with the principal. Twitch struggles to transform, but eventually succeeds and flies up to the window where Mr. Smelt is having Robby and Mo audition for the school choir. Twitch's malfunctioning rotors cause her to bang repeatedly into the side of the building, resulting in Mo likewise throwing herself into the wall. Before long, both kids are flailing about while the rest of the class laughs. The pair eventually regain control and return to their seats where Bruno and Mischa are impressed with the way they annoyed Mr. Smelt. Their teacher calls for a break.

[[File:EarthSpark-FriendsAndFamily-ZombieTerrans.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
Heading outside with the other kids, Robby and Mo soon find the Terrans and tell them to go home as their feedback is interfering too much. Once the kids leave, Twitch begins absently drifting off in the wrong direction and, unable to transform, Thrash follows. Mo and Robby arrive home to find Bumblebee setting up targets, and he tells them their Terran siblings missed them. When the two kids realize they can't feel anything through their links, Bumblebee takes them to find Twitch and Thrash. The pair in question are wandering lost in the wilderness somewhere. Bumblebee and the kids arrive at the school and start following the Terrans' footprints. Mo worries the Terrans are mad at them, but they stumble on a happy portrait made of sticks and rocks left by Thrash to mark the trail. After a brief struggle between Bumblebee and a raccoon, the three trackers stumble on a short cut. When the kids observe that that emotions they're getting through the link are almost zombie-like, Bumblebee posits it's because they're low on [[energon]] and is shocked when Robby and Mo reveal that the Terrans have never consumed the substance. The raccoon reappears, so they follow it to where Thrash is lying against a tree, having lost track of Twitch. Bumblebee gives him an energon patch, but it doesn't seem to do much and he wanders off in a zombie-like state, leading them to where a spot where Twitch is randomly blasting the ground. The trio attempt to talk to the Terrans, who turn around, Twitch aiming her blaster at them.

[[File:EarthSpark-FriendsAndFamily-RecoveredTwitch.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
Bumblebee protects the two kids as Twitch's blasts almost bring a tree down on them, but more blasts cause the ground to cave in, and everyone falls in. Bumblebee scans the comatose Terrans, only to find to his shock that they barely have any energon. While Bumblebee looks for a way out, the kids plead with the Terrans to wake up. Noticing the shallow water they're in seems to be reacting with the Terrans, the kids splash them with it and the two Terrans spring back into life. Bumblebee returns and, after hugging Thrash and Twitch, shows them what he's found — ancient Cybertronian text on a cave wall. The group reasons out that since they're from Earth, Twitch and Thrash needed the water in the cave to run instead of energon, though why the water in the cave is special, they can't work out. They emerge from the cave and Bumblebee reveals that Robby and Mo had to skip a pool party with their new school friends to search for the Terrans, who realize that the kids do need time on their own. They head off to the pool party, leaving Bumblebee to make his way home with the raccoon.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (3)

|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] (4)
*[[Dot Malto]] (5)
*[[Robby Malto]] (6)
*[[Alex Malto]] (7)
*Students (8)
*[[Smelt|Mr. Smelt]] (9)
*[[Bruno Lowe]] (10)
*[[Mischa]] (11)
*[[Dan (ES)|Principal Dan]] (12)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (1)
*[[Twitch]] (2)

}}

==Quotes==
"Putting targets in the yard, wow this rhyming sure gets hard."
:—'''Bumblebee'''

"Hmm. Ms. Malto, Mo. Mo Malto. That's a good name for a TV character."
:—'''Mr. Smelt''' gets a little too meta.

"Wow! Our teacher is a huge jerk!" 
"What did you call me?!" 
"Ohh, no, not you, Bee. It's feels from Mo and Robby. School is a ''lot''."
:—'''Thrash''' and '''Bumblebee'''

"Let's use those scouting skills! When tracking someone you have to be aware of everything around you, no matter how small." 
"You mean like those Terran footprints you're kneeling on?"
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Mo'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The cave system and its unique water first appeared in the series premiere, "[[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]".
*First appearance of [[Witwicky Charter]] and the only episode it appears in the shows first season.

===Transformers references===
*The Cybertron textbook the kids are reading features illustrations of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] as it appeared in the original [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'' cartoon]].
*Among the posters on the classroom wall is a somewhat out-of-place "Know Your Energon" poster, showing blue, yellow, red, purple and green varieties. These colours all correspond to known Energon variants—regular Energon (blue), [[Chronogon]] (yellow), [[Red Energon]], [[Dark Energon]] (purple), and [[Tox-En]] (green)—and while the text on the poster is illegible, the length of the word-blocks mostly matches up with these names (except for Chronogon, which looks like it might just be labelled "Yellow Energon").

===Real-world references===
*Mo refers to the classic fairy tale "{{w|Hansel and Gretel}}".

===Animation and technical errors===
*Quintus Prime's insignia appears upside-down.

===Trivia===
*The text Bumblebee finds reads "IN TIMES OF NEED HELP SHALL RISE TO YOUR CALL" in Ancient Autobot script, with the insignia of [[Quintus Prime]] next to it.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Amigos e Família'''" ("Friends and Family")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 17]], 2022

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La famille et les amis'''" ("Family and Friends")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 6]], 2022

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Freunde und Familie'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' December 6, 2022

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Egység és kétség'''" ("Unity and Doubt")
:*''Original airdate:'' December 6, 2022
:**The title is wordplay, "''egy''ség és ''két''ség" can also mean "oneness and twoness"

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' TBA
:*''Original airdate:'' December 6, 2022

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Amici e Famiglia'''" ("Friends and Family")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 11]], 2022

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rodzina i przyjaciele'''" ("Family and friends")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 6]], 2022

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2023 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

{{epstub}}

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Traditions

2025-08-02T10:45:04Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 6
|image=EarthSpark-Traditions-Kali.jpg
|caption=Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof!
|prev=Classified
|next=Friends and Family
|title="Traditions"
|season=1
|season ep=6
|airdate=[[November 11]], [[2022]] (Paramount+) [[February 17]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Maasai Singleton]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|directors=[[Jordan Rosato]] [[Matthew Humphreys]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/hL7ylng3_4MFZD1NYUYuftcZF2YiR_KJ/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Alex tries to share some of his family traditions, while Twitch attempts to win the approval of her "Dad2".'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:EarthSpark-Traditions-AlexReadsToBots.jpg|thumb|left|300px|''Who must raise a family and run the home, so Papa's free to read the holy book?'']]
Late one night, [[Alex Malto]] is recounting to [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] tales of the [[Wakwak]], a [[vampire|vampiric]] birdlike monster that feeds on lost children. As he concludes the story, their [[Terran]] siblings put their hands on the kids' shoulders, catching them off guard and frightening them. [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] complain about being left out of story time, to which Alex apologizes for forgetting. Robby, however, thinks he's too old now to believe in such things. Alex insists his grandfather once fought off a Wakwak to save a child, starting an annual tradition of training to fight one, but Robby simply steps away to get back to practicing for an upcoming online gaming tournament. As Mo also heads off to bed, the Terrans invite Alex to tell the story again, to which he obliges. Elsewhere, in his newest secret lab, [[Mandroid]] attempts some target practice to train himself with using [[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]]'s arm, but its size combined with the blaster's recoil makes things difficult. Believing he will have to further upgrade himself to take on the [[Transformer|Cybertronian]] menace, he orders his [[Arachnamech]]s to bring him more of their kind that he can use for parts.

The next morning, Alex invites Robby to join him in their annual Wakwak hunt, but Robby refuses, as the tournament is that day and he no longer enjoys the annual hunt. Robby suggests his father take Mo instead, but she is busy teaching Thrash how to play the makeshift guitar he's just built. Alex is left heartbroken, but he notices [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] unsuccessfully attempting to make a full-court jump shot. Alex picks up the ball and does the same, landing flawlessly in the hoop and amazing Bumblebee. Alex offers to teach him that and more, as part of sharing his family's history and culture; hoping to pick up a few [[basketball]] skills from the experience, Bumblebee agrees. Having observed all of this, Twitch asks Robby what a "tradition" is, and he does his best to explain, stating that traditions have personal meaning and help give a sense of belonging to something, leaving Twitch feeling uncertain.

[[File:EarthSpark-Traditions-TwitchTrees.jpg|thumb|right|300px|''I hear they've picked a bride for me; I hope she's pretty.'']]
As he and Bumblebee enter the forest, Alex notes that much can be gleamed through careful observation, demonstrating by using the rings in an oak tree stump to discern its history. He explains that he gained his love of history from his grandfather, or ''lolo'', growing up in [[Bohol]] in the [[Philippines]]. Bumblebee reveals he spent time in [[Tagbilarian City]], and that he too is familiar with the legends of the Wakwak. When they hear a screeching noise coming from nearby, Alex picks up his bastons and begins teaching Kali defense techniques to Bumblebee, who imitates him using a pair of large branches.

Robby continues to compete in the tournament, but is interrupted by Twitch, who asks if she can "borrow" Robby and Alex's Wakwak hunting tradition, having none of her own. Trying to focus on his game, Robby agrees and tells her to grab some sticks — by which he means ''not'' the trees [[Dot Malto|their mother]] just planted — and meet their father at the big stump in the forest. Ever eager, Twitch heads to the stump, but finding no one there, she begins hitting everything she can with her sticks, though she still feels no closer to the sense of belonging she expected. When she accidentally tosses her sticks into a tree, she transforms to her drone mode to retrieve them, but is suddenly blasted by an [[electromagnetic pulse]] and powers down.

[[File:EarthSpark-Traditions-TwitchMeetsDad2.jpg|thumb|left|300px|''Preparing her to marry whoever Papa picks'']]
When Twitch comes to, she is being carried by an unknown Transformer. Breaking free, Twitch shocks the Cybertronian when she starts talking back to him, as he didn't recall programming his drones with speech. Believing his creation to have self-actualized, the newcomer attempts to stun her again for study, but Twitch transforms back to robot mode to tell him off. Realizing she is one of the new Terrans [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] told him about, the Cybertronian apologizes for the confusion and properly introduces himself as [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]], the inventor of the drone Twitch scanned for her [[alternate mode]]. Twitch, realizing this connection, decides to dub Wheeljack her "Dad2", though this makes the scientist more than a bit uncomfortable. Wheeljack explains that he's in the forest hunting for Arachnamechs, but when Twitch offers to help him, he refuses and takes off. As Twitch sadly walks through the forest, she hears rustling in the underbrush before being attacked by an Arachnamech.

Back at the farm, Robby and his team take first place in the tournament, but when he goes to tell the others the good news, he's saddened to find everyone else gone. He wanders into the forest looking for his father, but is repeatedly frightened by brief glimpses of Arachnamechs, which he mistakes for the Wakwak. Alex and Bumblebee, meanwhile, are progressing well in their Kali practice. Bumblebee is energized, but Alex laments that Robby no longer sees the appeal of the Wakwak hunt, feeling traditions like this are important to who they are. Seeing how important this is to Alex, Bumblebee decides to go back to the house to get the kids, unaware that he is being followed by a horde of Arachnamechs. Nearby, Wheeljack continues to track the Arachnamechs, when Twitch suddenly arrives with the one she just defeated, though it suddenly wakes and takes off. Wheeljack asks why she didn't stun it with her EMP, something Twitch didn't realize she had, and Wheeljack agrees to teach her how to use her drone mode's abilities if she helps him recapture the Arachnamech.

Twitch and Wheeljack's training progresses quickly, with Twitch learning to use her EMP and shield tech, as well as coming up with the idea to use her rotors to create whirlwinds. Wheeljack praises her ingenuity, prompting Twitch to open up to Wheeljack about her feelings of not belonging, uncertain as to quite who she's supposed to be and desperately wanting a tradition so she can feel like she's part of something. Wheeljack reassures her that tradition or not, she still has a family that loves her to make new ones with. At the stump, Robby finds himself cornered by Arachnamechs, which are targeting his [[cyber-sleeve]]. He attempts to escape by hiding in a log, but the Arachnamechs find him, and their attacks manage to dislodge the log and send it rolling down the path.

[[File:EarthSpark-Traditions-AlexProtectsRobby.jpg|thumb|right|300px|''Who has the right, as master of the house, to have the final word at home?'']]
By the time the log stops, Robby emerges to find himself surrounded by Arachnamechs. He attempts to fight them off with a stick, but is overwhelmed before being saved by Alex, who arrives just in time to fend off the attackers with his Kali skills. Reminded that he learned the moves during their previous Wakwak hunts, Robby and his father team up to fight the mechs off and drive them away. Twitch senses through their emotional link that Robby is in trouble, moments before she and Wheeljack are beset by more Arachnamechs. Wheeljack attempts to send Twitch away for safety, but she helps fend off the drones, and the two defeat them by combining their skills to create a laser whirlwind that blasts all the Arachnamechs. Wheeljack retrieves one of the destroyed Arachnamechs, eager to study it. Twitch is upset to see him leave, but Wheeljack senses her sadness and suggests they make mechanical spider hunting their new tradition. Robby apologizes to his father for skipping out on the Wakwak hunt, and asks if there's still time to resume it, which Alex happily accepts.

Robby and Alex return to the house, where Bumblebee is waiting for them as Mo and Thrash demonstrate their new musical ability, playing an approximation of Alex's ''lolo''{{'}}s song for him. Their playing is interrupted as Twitch returns with a broken Arachnamech, with Alex noting one of his colleagues used to use similar technology. Wheeljack arrives as well, introducing himself to the others as Twitch's Dad2, much to her elation. As Thrash ponders if Wheeljack is also ''his'' Dad2, Bumblebee picks up the basketball and is shocked to find he's now able to perfectly make the long shot.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (8)
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (9)

|c3=
*[[Alex Malto]] (1)
*[[Robby Malto]] (2)
*[[Mo Malto]] (3)
*[[Mandroid]] (6)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (4)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (5)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Arachnamech]]s (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"This isn't another attempt to read my diary, is it?" 
"''I'm a history professor! Having a primary source is''...not what today's about."
:—'''Bumblebee''' reminds '''Alex''' of personal boundaries.

"He used to say, 'The past is a present, the present past.'" 
"...what does that mean?" 
(chuckles) "I don't know."
:—'''Alex''' tells '''Bumblebee''' about his ''lolo''.

"You built the drone I scanned?" 
"One of my better inventions. No accidental self-destructions...yet."
:—'''Twitch''' meets '''Wheeljack'''.

"But I can help." 
"You can! ...by pretending we never met. Bye now!"
:—'''Twitch''' watches '''Wheeljack''' make his exit.

"You can't have my sleeve unless you rip my arm off!" 
[Arachnamechs approach] 
"That wasn't an invitation!"
:—'''Robby''' finds himself cornered

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Wheeljack was briefly mentioned as the creator of the drones back in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]".

===Transformers references===
* Wheeljack retains the beard of many of his other incarnations, originally dating back to his [[Wheeljack (Animated)|''Animated'' counterpart]], along with the southern twang of [[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|''Cyberverse'' Wheeljack]].

===Real-world references===
* Alex's description of the {{w|Wakwak}} is rooted in stories from real-life Philippine mythology.
* In Robbie's bedroom, a poster can be seen with reversed Japanese characters that can be translated to "My Villain University", a reference to the anime ''My Hero Academia'', with the poster stylized to resemble its common promotional material.

===Animation and technical errors===
*

===Trivia===
*

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tradições'''" ("Traditions")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 10]], 2022

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Les traditions'''" ("The Traditions")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 5]], 2022

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Traditionen'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 5]], 2022

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hagyományteremtők'''" ("Tradition Makers")
:*''Original airdate:'' December 5, 2022

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tradisi'''" ("Traditions")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 5]], 2022

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tradizioni''' ("Traditions")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 11]], 2022

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''家族传统''' ("Family Traditions")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 20]], 2023
:**The translators of the Mandarin dub misunderstood "drag races" as the drag race for drag queens, so Mandarin Bumblebee now has canonically won a drag queen show at the Tagbilaran Airport. Good for him.

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tradycje'''" ("Tradition")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 5]], 2022

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2023 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Classified

2025-08-02T10:44:40Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 5
|image=EarthSpark-Classified-Hiding.jpg
|caption=Honey, I shrunk the Cube
|prev=House Rules
|next=Traditions
|title="Classified"
|season=1
|season ep=5
|airdate=[[November 11]], [[2022]] (Paramount+) [[February 17]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Nathan Ramos-Park]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Alex Kwan]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/2Ihvjq0stmkgzh6x82PLHlEpyJrCXP3f/
|videosite=Paramount+
|video2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTZuv7JKz4I
|videosite2=YouTube
}}

'''A G.H.O.S.T. agent mistakenly begins pursuing the Terrans, forcing them to keep a low profile.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:EarthSpark-Classified-RobbyDreamOptimus.jpg|thumb|left|300px|[[:File:Energon_ep1_Autobot_jerks.jpg|Whoa, déjà vu.]]]]
''[[Robby Malto]] creeps through a smoky black void, looking for his [[Terran]] siblings. [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] call out to him, only to be pulled into a truck by a [[G.H.O.S.T.]] agent and carried away before he can catch up to them. Robby attempts to follow, but he is blocked by the enormous form of [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]], warning him that nothing lasts forever as Robby watches his [[cyber-sleeve]] disappear from his hand...''

Robby wakes with a start from his nightmare as Twitch looks in from his window, offering to look at baby foxes with him to help him calm down. The two head for the woods, but find the foxes' den abandoned, the mother having presumably moved her kits due to their repeated visits. Robby suggests they split up to keep looking, but during his search, he runs into a group of [[G.H.O.S.T.]] agents. Sensing his fear, Twitch doubles back and picks him up, quickly retreating when the agents assume her to be a [[Decepticon]] and start firing on her. The leader chastises his cadets for nearly blasting a human civilian, and decides to leave the capture of the supposed Con in the most capable hands he knows—his own.

[[File:EarthSpark-Classified-DotMeetsSchloder.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
The next morning, the four Malto children are visiting Dot's [[Witwicky Ranger Station|ranger station]] for the first time, and while Twitch, Thrash, and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] are fascinated, Robby is still exhausted and enters a storage room for a nap. His sleep is quickly interrupted, however, when one of the stack of boxes pops out and the G.H.O.S.T. agent from the previous night attempts to squeeze his way through the gap. Panicked, Robby runs back to his mother to warn her, and she orders the kids outside. Dot opens the door, careful to block the intruder from seeing the children, and comes face-to-face with Special Agent [[Jon Schloder]], who entered via a G.H.O.S.T. elevator in the storage room. Schloder informs Dot that she'll be working with him on his mission to find a Decepticon kidnapper terrorizing [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]]. Realizing the risk his presence poses to the Terrans, Dot texts the kids orders to go home immediately. As she drives away with Schloder, Robby directs the others on an alternate route to avoid being seen.

As they drive, Scholoder tells Dot that she'll need to undergo G.H.O.S.T. training and that he'll need to go to her house to question her children, despite her protests. She texts the kids once more, this time telling them ''not'' to go home. Mo doesn't understand why Robby seems so nervous, but before they can debate further, the ground opens beneath them and they suddenly fall into a deep hole lined with metal. As a barrier closes above them, Robby realizes they're trapped in an old Decepticon [[hologram pit trap]]. Twitch and Thrash attempt to breach the barrier, but are electrified on contact. As they attempt to find a way out, Twitch lets slip about her and Robby being attacked the previous night, angering Mo that Robby didn't tell her. Robby retorts that he doesn't have to tell her everything, and their negative emotions begin to bleed over to the Terrans via their emotional link. Thankfully, they are interrupted by the arrival of Optimus Prime, who deactivates the barrier and retrieves the children. Optimus explains that he and G.H.O.S.T. have been sweeping the area looking for a "dangerous Decepticon". Knowing the Terrans will be taken away if G.H.O.S.T. finds them, he directs the four to hide in his trailer while he transports them somewhere safe.

As Dot and Schloder arrive at the Malto house, she sends a coded message to [[Alex Malto|Alex]] via the doorbell, warning him to hide the bots. Alex orders Bumblebee to hide and quietly assures Dot that the kids are with Optimus as the two do their best to distract Schloder. Unfortunately, Schloder hears the sound of Bumblebee transforming and goes to investigate the barn, only to find a very stylish looking sports car that ''totally'' isn't an [[Autobot]] in disguise. Impressed with the car, Schloder requisitions its use in the search, though Alex insists that he must be the one to drive it. With Alex now escorting him, much to Bumblebee's chagrin, Schloder sends Dot back to the ranger station, ordering her to take the elevator to G.H.O.S.T. HQ to undergo her training.

When Dot arrives for her orientation, Optimus is waiting for her. Dot is unimpressed by the cheesy brochures, though Optimus claims they are meant as an effort to stem decades of humans fearing [[Transformer]]s, and begins sending her through the incredibly dry orientation sequence, corny promotional video and all. In downtown Witwicky, Bumblebee is none too pleased at running errands for Schloder, but Alex reminds him it's for the sake of keeping Dot and the kids safe. However, Bumblebee refuses to allow Schloder inside with a powdered sugar donut, locking his door then knocking him over when he attempts to force it open.

[[File:EarthSpark-Classified-MegatronTrainingRoom.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
The Malto kids continue to sit in the trailer, under orders from Optimus not to come out until he says so, but Mo and Robby are still arguing over him keeping his and Twitch's night walks a secret. Their rage causes Thrash to aggressively throw the ball he's playing with, which hits himself and knocks the trailer doors open. Emerging, they realize they are in G.H.O.S.T. headquarters. Though Mo reminds him they were told to stay put, Robby decides to look around. Unfortunately, they are spotted by the cadets from the previous night, who recognize Twitch and begin chasing the Maltos through the facility. Seeing an open room, the kids duck inside and seal the door, relieved to be safe...until they realize they've entered the Autobots' training room, which activates a high-level training simulation.

Schloder gets a call from the cadets warning him that the Decepticon is loose in their base. Convinced the car is faulty after all the times Bumblebee has messed with him, Schloder flags down a passing old woman for a ride instead, while Bumblebee places a covert call to Optimus. In the simulator, a holographic human calls for help as lasers begin firing on the Maltos. With the door sealed and no phone reception, Mo and Robby's argument comes to a head, with Robby expressing his doubts that things will always work out. Twitch and Thrash realize that they can channel the anger they're feeling into strength like with Thrash's ball, and they begin taking out the various laser armaments. Seeing Twitch and Thrash work together and save them from an oncoming blast, Robby and Mo make amends and call a truce.

[[File:EarthSpark-Classified-ReuintedFamily.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
As the video finishes, Dot remains unconvinced of G.H.O.S.T.'s intentions given all the secrecy, asking Optimus if he really believes he's on the right side. Optimus admits that G.H.O.S.T. were the only ones who could provide the resources needed to protect the planet after the war, and that he is making the best of a bad situation for the sake of the greater good, which Dot sympathizes with, and the two leave to fetch the kids. In the training room, Twitch keeps the lasers focused on her while Thrash launches himself off a pillar and tosses Robby and Mo up to the holographic human, completing the simulation and restoring the room to normal. The door unlocks, revealing the cadets with their weapons drawn, but Optimus and Dot arrive and he dismisses them, saying he will take care of "arresting the Decepticons". As Dot hugs her children, Optimus receives a call from Bumblebee, warning him that Schloder will be at HQ in moments. By the time Schloder arrives, however, he finds the place empty, as Optimus is already taking the others to a secret exit. On their way, they pass through a secret holding facility containing all of the apprehended Decepticons. A regretful Optimus explains he is trusting Dot with this secret, hoping to one day find a better way to keep the planet safe.

Later that night, Robby knocks on Mo's window and the two move to the barn roof to talk. Robby finally admits to Mo about his nightmares and his fear of losing the Terrans, and that he didn't tell her because he feels it's his job as the oldest to be brave. Mo reassures him that he doesn't have to be brave alone, and that fear of loss shouldn't scare him away from caring about people. Their bond reforged, the two go to invite the Terrans to a late-night "monster hunt".

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (12)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (13)

|c2=
*[[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]] (15)
*[[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]] (16)
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]]'' (17)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (1)
*Nightmare [[G.H.O.S.T.]] agent (4)
*[[Jon Schloder]] (6)
*[[G.H.O.S.T.]] cadets (7)
*[[Mo Malto]] (8)
*[[Dot Malto]] (9)
*[[Alex Malto]] (11)
*Old lady (14)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (2)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (3)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Mr. Slithers]] (10)
}}

==Quotes==
"With a Decepticon targeting youngsters, they may have heard something from their peers. Playground chatter saved my squad in the Knee-Slapper Valley incident..."
:—'''Schloder''' clearly has some...unique backstory elements.

"Better study hard. There's a test. A tough test. It's called...''life''."
:—'''Schloder''' gives Dot her training orders.

"Don't worry. We'll use your cupholders for drinks, and we won't eat anything with crumbs." 
(Bumblebee revs angrily) 
"''We won't eat anything! Got it!''"
:—'''Alex''' tries to placate Bumblebee.

[[File:ES-Ep01-05 OptimusCoolPose.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
"'Welcome, new recruit. G.H.O.S.T.'s main focus is human-Autobot relations, creating a safer planet for all, and finding ways that Cybertronians can help Earth's communities. Laugh, then cool pose.' ...oh. ''Ha ha ha!''" (finger guns)
:—'''Optimus''' does his best to follow the script.

"Feel the steel of my third wheel!"
:—'''Thrash''' fights back.

"We make compromises to protect those we care about. I am not proud of this, but I know no better option to keep your planet safe. I promise you, I will never stop seeking one."
:—'''Optimus''' reveals G.H.O.S.T.'s dark secret.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The G.H.O.S.T. agent in Robby's nightmare uses the same character model as the one seen after Mandroid abducts the Terrans in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]".
* Among the objects Thrash finds in G.H.O.S.T. HQ is a barely-functioning [[Arachnamech]], presumably the one that Optimus retrieved in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]".
* Megatron was last seen using the training room, later identified as the "Wreck Room" in "[[Disarmed]]", in "[[Moo-ving In]]".
* All of the imprisoned Decepticons seen in this episode were apprehended in "Secret Legacy, Part 2".

===Transformers references===
* [[Teletraan-1 (ES)|Teletraan-1]] can be seen when the kids first emerge inside G.H.O.S.T. headquarters.
* Megatron's training simulator difficulty level is set to [[Unicron]] 14.

===Real-world references===
*

===Animation and technical errors===
*The sign on the front of the ranger station is missing the "Witwicky Ranger Station" text seen in later episodes.

===Trivia===
*

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Confidencial'''" ("Confidential", dubbed-in title), "'''Classificado'''" ("Classified", Paramount+ catalogue title)
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 3]], 2022

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Secret Défense'''" ("Classified")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 2]], 2022

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Streng geheim'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 2]], 2022

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Szigorúan titkos'''" ("Top Secret")
:*''Original airdate:'' December 2, 2022

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rahasia'''" ("Classified")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 2]], 2022

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Informazioni riservate'''" ("Classified informations")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 11]], 2022

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ściśle tajne'''" ("Classified")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 2]], 2022

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2023 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

House Rules

2025-08-02T10:44:21Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 4
|image=House-Rules Swindle Thrash Mo.jpg
|caption=Why shouldn't you trust a guy who's literally named Swindle?
|prev=Moo-ving In
|next=Classified
|title="House Rules"
|season=1
|season ep=4
|airdate=[[November 11]], [[2022]] (Paramount+) [[February 10]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Ian Busch]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Jordan Rosato]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/f2xBalVVzirVFPbvZz34sz0A5WechSMq/
|videosite=Paramount+
|video2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08kQlhPZeQ8
|videosite2=YouTube
}}

'''Thrash and Mo's rebellion against the house rules leads them to fall in with a Decepticon.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:EarthSpark-HouseRules-ThrashTwitchKitchen.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
[[Mo Malto|Mo]] and [[Robby Malto|Robby]] play capture the flag with [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]]. Twitch manages to trap Mo by dropping hay bales around her, while Thrash hijacks Robby using his sidecar. The two Terrans then begin fighting over the nearest flag, which is when [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] arrives and attempts to break the pair up. [[Alex Malto|Alex]] and [[Dot Malto|Dot]] are startled when the two warring Terrans crash through the wall of the house into the kitchen where Alex is making breakfast, prompting Dot to call a family meeting.

The parents go over the house rules, including a new one: no bots in the house. The Terrans are less than enthusiastic, but Twitch at least perks up when Alex reveals that they'll get stickers for doing chores, and whoever gets the most by the end of the week gets a prize. Mo attempts to cheer Thrash up by setting up a tent, but he's unhappy at not being allowed in the house. He hits on the idea of transforming, since they didn't say anything about bikes not being allowed in. Alex and Dot head off to the lumber yard, and Thrash reasons that while they're gone, the rules are suspended and he can go inside. He and Mo head inside to Mo's room, where they settle down to quietly watch wrestling; however when Dot and Alex arrive back, it's just in time to see the pair crash through the side of the house while replicating a wrestling move, resulting in both being grounded.

[[File:EarthSpark-HouseRules-MoPinsThrash.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
A [[G.H.O.S.T.]] truck driving through [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]] is rammed by [[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]], who gives pursuit and succeeds in overturning the vehicle. The Decepticon spots an [[energon scanner]] in the back of the truck, but is unable to reach it due to the energon force fields, so he drives off as the [[Bala|truck's driver]] calls for backup.

Alex and Bumblebee finish repairing the damage to the house. Robby, tired of pulling weeds, decides to slack off on social media on his phone. Twitch is scandalized and decides to finish the weeding so she can get the star instead. Dot observes Thrash and Mo being bored while she unloads wood, but before she can talk to them, the call for reinforcements comes in and she has to head off to respond. Thrash quickly talks Mo into violating their grounding, and the pair also head off after Dot. Reaching town, they go into hiding and watch Dot meet up with [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] and a number of G.H.O.S.T. agents. Also watching affairs is Swindle, who spots Thrash and Mo and sees an opportunity. Blasting a trash dumpster, he leads Trash and Mo away while Dot and the agents are distracted dealing with the fire. The pair follow Swindle to a nearby clifftop where he invites them to join his crew.

[[File:EarthSpark-HouseRules-ThrashMoReturnWithSwindle.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Soon Swindle is cutting the bolt on a gate with very obvious "No trespassing" signs on it. When Mo points out the signs, Swindle pulls them off the fences for "skate sledding" down the concrete slope beyond the fence. Next they race through a corn field before arriving back at the clifftop, where Swindle confides he's searching for his brother, [[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]]. Mo invites Swindle home in the belief the rest of the family can help him find Hardtop.

At home, Robby is surprised to see the amount of stars Twitch has accumulated. She asks if he can add another one for egg collection, though as Robby points out, they don't have any chickens. When Twitch mentions the prize is picking dinner for a week, Robby decides he needs to win and resumes doing chores. Bumblebee emerges from the barn just as Thrash and Mo arrive back with Swindle, immediately tackling the Con. A fight ensues which Bumblebee wins, only for Thrash and Mo to come to Swindle's defense. After Swindle drives off, Bee and the two parents turn on Thrash and Mo, who are unrepentant at helping the Decepticon. Thrash goes to sulk in the tent. Mo joins him and finds Thrash is still determined to help Swindle.

[[File:EarthSpark-HouseRules-SwindleFightsThrash.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
Waiting on the clifftop, Swindle hears Thrash and Mo coming and feigns crying until they reveal they're there to help him find Hardtop. They head to a salvage yard and break in. The G.H.O.S.T. truck inside still has active energon force fields, but being [[human]], Mo can pass through them. When she refuses to help, Swindle forces her at gunpoint. She successfully shuts down the force field, but Thrash has had enough and attacks Swindle when the Con tell him to help. Mo's able to use Thrash's shield to protect the Terran when Swindle shoots at him, but the fight doesn't last long, with Swindle stomping on Thrash before trying to chase down Mo. Just as he catches up to her, Dot and Bumblebee arrive, having been called by Mo, and chase the Decepticon off. Thrash apologizes for disobeying the rules and helping Swindle, but Dot says he's still grounded.

Back at home, Twitch and Robby attempt to get the last star by mowing the lawn, but finish in a tie and also wreck the lawn. Alex reveals that the walls of the kitchen can now swing up, allowing the Bots to access it.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (10)

|c2=
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] (9)

|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] (1)
*[[Robby Malto]] (2)
*[[Alex Malto]] (6)
*[[Dot Malto]] (7)
*[[Bala|Agent Bala]] (8)
*[[G.H.O.S.T.]] agents (11)
*Farmer (12)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (3)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (4)
}}

==Quotes==
"That repair was so fast! You know what would make it even faster? Pew pew." 
"Alex. For the last time, I'm not using my stinger for DIY projects." 
"Think of how fast we could strip paint! Cut wood? Toast tortillas?"
:—'''Alex''' and '''Bumblebee''' finish fixing the kitchen.

"No phones, no friends, no fun. We're dying of boredom!" 
"Ugh, I'm lucky I lived through that sentence."
:—'''Mo''' and '''Thrash''' enjoy being grounded.

"You know Mister Optimus too? Isn't he great?" 
"Yeah, that's one word for him."
:—'''Mo''' and '''Swindle'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Swindle is still looking for Hardtop after he was taken prisoner by G.H.O.S.T. back in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]".
*The "Live. Laugh. Love." picture Dorothy had with Megatron is the same one used for Megatron's profile picture when they are messaging each other in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]".

===Transformers references===
* Following in the footsteps of previous incarnations, Bumblebee calls his electric weapon his "[[Stinger (weapon)|stinger]]".

===Real-world references===
* When the farmer discovers that Thrash and Swindle messed up his corn field, he yells "Sufferin' succotash!", the catchphrase of the Looney Tunes character, Sylvester the Cat.

===Animation and technical errors===
*

===Trivia===
* On Paramount+, this episode is listed under the name "H.O.U.S.E. Rules". This is seemingly a leftover from an alternate version of the scene where Dot, Alex, and Bumblebee introduce the rules, posted as a storyboard by [[Moss Lawton]]<ref>https://www.slideshare.net/dinolich/transformers-earthspark-01</ref>, where they would have explained the rules via an elaborate acronym: "'''H'''elp the Family", "'''O'''utside Is Where Bots Belong", "'''U'''se Your Words", "'''S'''ecret Identities Keep Bots Safe", and "'''E'''njoy a Healthy Diet".
* The path that Swindle and Thrash make in the cornfield resembles a Decepticon insignia. It can be clearly seen at the 11 minute 30 second mark.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Regras da Casa'''" ("House Rules")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 26]], 2022

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le respect des règles'''" ("Respect for the rules")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 1]], 2022

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hausregeln'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 1]], 2022

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Házirendszegők'''" ("House Rule Breakers")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 1]], 2022

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Peraturan Rumah'''" ("House Rules")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 1]], 2022

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le regole della casa'''" ("The house's rules")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 11]], 2022

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Domowe zasady'''" ("House rules")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 1]], 2022

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2023 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{epstub}}

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Moo-ving In

2025-08-02T10:43:24Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 3
|image=EarthSpark-MoovingIn-DotandAlexhelpBee.jpg
|caption="Value this time in your life, kids, because this is the time in your life when you still have your choices."
|prev=Secret Legacy, Part 2
|next=House Rules
|title="Moo-ving In"
|season=1
|season ep=3
|airdate=[[November 11]], [[2022]] (Paramount+) [[February 10]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Isabel Galupo]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[J.J. Conway]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/D8BBQL_k8LFgGDPVMXeO7qnYmpTNllMd/
|videosite=Paramount+
|video2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcOQg-zGbNM
|videosite2=YouTube
}}

'''Bumblebee struggles in his mission to train Twitch and Thrash, because they won't listen to him.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:EarthSpark-MoovingIn-TwitchMeetsFluffyEars.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"These cows trusted us." "Trusted us? They followed us because we yelled 'yah'."]]
[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] speeds through the streets of [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]] as the clock ticks. Roaring out into the countryside, he uses a trailer being towed by another vehicle in order to vault a moving train, all so he can arrive at the Malto house by 9AM. His triumph at a new speed record is interrupted by items being thrown from the barn, and he heads inside to where [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]], [[Twitch]], [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] are tidying up so the Terrans and Bumblebee will have somewhere to rest. As [[Dot Malto|Dot]] arrives, [[Alex Malto|Alex]] takes a photo of the family at work.

[[File:EarthSpark-MoovingIn-BumblebeeWalkies.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"Do you know what the secret of life is? This." "Your finger?"]]
Alex later finds Bumblebee reviewing his to-do list, particularly the last "rejoin the Autobots" item. Alex and Dot offer their help with Bee's main mission of training the Terrans, but Bee believes it will be a simple, routine matter he'll have completed in no time. The Terrans and their kid partners are meanwhile picking apples when their work is interrupted by one of the nearby cows munching down on dropped fruit. Twitch is instantly charmed by the calf and her emotion leaks over to Thrash and the kids. They're all admiring the calf when Bumblebee arrives, intending to begin their training. Thrash confidently goes to demonstrate his ability to transform to Bumblebee, only to discover he can't, and has to cover for it by speaking the sound effect and contorting his body. Bumblebee tells the amused Twitch that it's her turn to try, but she finds herself unable to transform as well. The kids and Terrans are more interested in doing what they're doing than training, so Bee suggests they can train after hours. Robby points out that tonight is Malto Family Game Night. Mo suggests Bee can take part, but his speech about how he's on a serious mission is lost on deaf ears, as the others are back to playing with the calf, now dubbed "[[Fluffy Ears]]".

Bumblebee trudges back to the barn, grumbling that the others are ignoring him, and is intercepted by Alex, who is conveniently moving his collection of Bumblebee merchandise. Bee signs the piece of merchandise Alex is holding up, only for Alex to hint that he'd like the rest of his collection signed too. Bee's also less than impressed with the faces on the Bumblebee walkie talkies, and tells Alex to leave the merchandise with him. Heading inside, he tries to contact [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]], only to instead get [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]], who has some helpful advice on getting the others to listen to him by using force. Bee returns to the field, only to find everyone's gone, except Twitch who is hiding behind a bale of hay and fruitlessly attempting to transform. After overhearing her opinion of him, Bumblebee heads back to the barn and again attempts to reach Optimus, only to get [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]], who suggests he should get to know the Terrans better to be a more effective leader.

[[File:EarthSpark-MoovingIn-FamilyGameNight.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"......''RUM RAISIN!''"]]
Bumblebee finds the Terrans and kids lying in a field, working on their emotional connection, and presents them with walkie talkies as presents. He gets upset after they laugh at the Bumblebee faces on them, but attempts to persevere, asking about the upcoming family game night. That night, the family convenes in the barn and splits into teams — Bumblebee finds himself with Alex and Dot while the kids pair with their respective Terran partners. They proceed to play a series of games. Bumblebee's advice to Twitch while playing Tic-Tac-Toe actually results in her losing, and his further attempts to give helpful advice to the Terrans leads to an argument breaking out, culminating in Twitch yelling at Bumblebee before transforming and smashing through the roof. Thrash and the kids similarly storm out, leaving Bumblebee with their parents.

As Twitch flies along angry at Bumblebee, she suddenly realized she's transformed. She swoops down to show Fluffy Ears, but when the calf is terrified at her appearance, she attempts to change back, only to find she can't. Meanwhile Bumblebee again attempts to contact Optimus and finally gets through, but it turns out to be Optimus's voice mail. Dot and Alex find him slumped in dejection at the side of the barn and offer some words of encouragement. Elsewhere Robby, Mo and Thrash find Twitch crashed into a fence, and she laments that the cows have all escaped. Thrash contacts Bee over the walkie talkies to ask for help, as the cows are currently stampeding towards the railway tracks.

[[File:EarthSpark-MoovingIn-StuckOnTracks.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"I hope I can help."]]
Soon Bee arrives in the field and has Twitch fly up to survey what's happening. Thrash is still unable to transform, and from discussion, it turns out the Terrans need to feel safe and calm. The group holds hands, and Thrash finally succeeds in transforming. He, Mo and Twitch triumphantly head over and begin herding the cows away from the tracks, but Twitch realizes Fluffy Ears is still missing. While Thrash and Mo continue to guide the cows back to the pasture, Twitch goes in search of the missing calf and rescues it from the tracks at a road crossing. In doing so, Twitch finds she's gotten her own foot stuck on the track, and in her panic, is unable to transform. Bumblebee heads off to respond to her call for help, leaving the others to send her calm feelings. Bee continues to talk to Twitch as he fruitlessly attempts to stop the oncoming train, eventually giving up and joining Twitch on the tracks ahead. With Bee present, she is able to focus enough to succeed in transforming, yanking Bee and Fluffy Ears out of the way moments before the train roars through the crossing. The trio returns to the others, who hug Twitch and thank Bumblebee, who finally feels like he's part of a team again.

The family sits down for take two of family game night, with the barn now repaired. Optimus finally contacts Bee, but Bumblebee's now busy and says he'll call the Prime back.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (1)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (11)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (12)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (10)

|c3=
*Pedestrian (2)
*[[Alex Malto]] (3)
*[[Robby Malto]] (6)
*[[Mo Malto]] (7)
*[[Dot Malto]] (8)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (4)
*[[Twitch]] (5)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Fluffy Ears]] (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"Wait, is this supposed to be me?" 
"Yeah! Aren't they fun?" 
"My eyebrows do ''not'' look like that."
:—'''Bumblebee''' discovers '''Alex's''' Bumblebee walkie talkies.

"Aww, they're made of you!" 
"Yeah, but the brows are all wrong."
:—'''Mo''' and '''Robby''' are also amused at the walkie talkies.

"I just wish I knew how to get these Terrans to listen to me." 
"If you figure that out, could you let me know? Kids can be a mystery."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Dot'''

"Yes! Maltobots, let's go wrangle us some cows!"
:—'''Bumblebee'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This episode is the first to reveal Dot has a prosthetic right leg, though it goes unremarked upon here.

===Transformers references===
*Bumblebee swears by [[Primus]], and later cries out "Mother of [[Solus Prime|Solus]]!".

===Real-world references===
*The various boxes around the barn feature logos for the Malinowski shipping company, a reference to series producer [[Dale Malinowski]].
*When attempting to Transform, Twitch strikes a ''Naruto'' jutsu pose.
*The collection of board games at family night includes the [[Hasbro]] games "Twister" and "Sorry! Not Sorry!".

===Animation and technical errors===
*

===Trivia===
*

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Seguindo em Frente'''" ("Moving on", dubbed-in title), "'''Mudança da Mo'''" ("Mo's Change", Paramount+ catalogue title)
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 19]], 2022

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Aller de l'avant'''" ("Moving forward")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 30]], 2022

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Nur Muh-t, das klappt schon'''" ("Just Moo, It'll Work Out")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 30]], 2022
:** The title is a pun on the phrase "nur Mut, das klappt schon" ("just have courage, it'll work out").

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Mú és öröm a háznál'''" ("Moo and Joy at the House")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 30]], 2022
:** The title is a blend of the expressions "mú" (moo), "bú és öröm" (sadness and joy) and "vendég a háznál, öröm a háznál" (guest at the house, joy at the house).

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' TBA
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 30]], 2022

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Muuu-tamento'''" ("Moo-tation")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 11]], 2022

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Przeprowadzka'''" ("Move")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 30]], 2022

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2023 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

{{epstub}}

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Secret Legacy, Part 2

2025-08-02T10:43:05Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 2
|image=EarthSpark-SecretLegacyPt2-KnockKnock.jpg
|caption="DIE AUTO-er, sorry. Force of habit."
|prev=Secret Legacy, Part 1
|next=Moo-ving In
|title="Secret Legacy, Part 2"
|season=1
|season ep=2
|airdate=[[November 11]], [[2022]]
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writers=[[Nicole Dubuc]] & [[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|directors=[[Alex Kwan]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/WLm2gauizzFBtag7qQgnjCMlDJZ667rc/
|videosite=Paramount+
|video2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teDOyHKstaQ
|videosite2=YouTube
}}

'''As Twitch and Thrash learn how to use their abilities, they find themselves targeted by a new threat to all Transformer-kind.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:EarthSpark-SecretLegacyPt2-TwitchNewDroneMode.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] reaches down and picks up [[Dot Malto]], staring at her imposingly...then laughs, happy to see his Platoon Cyber Strike teammate again. Dot is equally happy to be reunited with her old friend. As the two catch up, [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] releases a set of drones to investigate the surrounding area for clues as to what attacked the [[G.H.O.S.T.]] prison transport.

In the forest, [[Twitch]] and [[Robby Malto|Robby]] decide to play a game of target practice. Robby tosses a small stone at a larger rock, hitting it dead-on, but Twitch is unable to get her laser blaster to appear. As she fiddles with her arm, Robby decides to try throwing a rock at Twitch instead. His gambit works and Twitch's blaster activates, allowing her to blast the oncoming projectile into the target rock. Not far away, [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] practices his juggling skills using [[Mo Malto|Mo]] and two large rocks. Thrash is pleased that Mo no longer seems to be upset, noting that their [[cyber-sleeve]] connection had been causing him to feel her lingering sadness. Mo explains that she's been worried for her family after their big move, and that she just wants them to be happy. As Robby sets up another target, Twitch spots one of Optimus's drones and follows it, climbing up a tree to get a better look. Thinking it to be some kind of mechanical bird, she squints to observe it, inadvertently triggering her [[scanning|scanner]]. Caught off guard, she slips and falls, but before she can hit the ground, she transforms into a drone herself and takes off into the sky. Robby celebrates Twitch's success, but backs away as Optimus's drone approaches him until Twitch shoots it down. Seeing Twitch transform, Thrash begins looking for something that he can use as an [[alternate mode]]. Mo suggests the two go into town to expand his options, while Twitch and Robby stay behind to see if they can convert the damaged drone into a sky racer.

[[File:EarthSpark-SecretLegacyPt2-SinisterMandroid.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]
The remaining drones return to Optimus, with [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] chalking the missing one up to another malfunction by [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]]. Dot still remains skeptical of helping Optimus and G.H.O.S.T., but Megatron encourages her, noting that despite their differences, he knows Optimus always does what he genuinely believes is right for everyone. With the drones having turned up nothing, Optimus declares they will take up the search instead, and the group head for [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]]. Elsewhere, [[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] remains in the captivity of [[Mandroid|Dr. Meridian]] and his [[Arachnamech]] drones, with one now fastening Hardtop's arm to Meridian. As he ponders using Hardtop's [[Swindle (ES)|brother]] for parts as well, one of the Arachnamechs reveals its destroyed counterpart was last heard from in Witwicky. Seeing a more tantalizing prize, Meridian orders the Arachnamechs to pursue the Cybertronian that appeared in the destroyed unit's footage.

[[File:EarthSpark-SecretLegacyPt2-ReunitedFamily.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
In downtown Witwicky, Thrash and Mo stand on a rooftop looking for potential alternate modes, careful to avoid being seen, but none are to Thrash's liking. Mo sympathizes, recalling how much her bike Rocinante meant to her, and declares Thrash will know the right mode when he finds it. Before they can depart, the two are attacked by an Arachnamech, which knocks Thrash into a nearby alley. The two do their best to fight back, but the Arachnamech comes at them relentlessly. Fortunately, Robby and Twitch arrive and blast the attacker with the repaired drone, having sensed Mo and Thrash's fear and come looking for them. Their relief is short-lived, however, when they find themselves surrounded by even more Arachnamechs. Help arrives in the form of Elita and Optimus, who catch the Arachnamechs by surprise and swiftly take them out. The kids are awestruck, but that awe turns to worry when they see their mother with the bots, looking none too happy. Though Dot is relieved her kids are safe, Optimus suggests the two new Transformers be taken to G.H.O.S.T. for their safety, despite their protests. As a G.H.O.S.T. transport pulls up, Robby and Mo attempt to appeal to their mother, but Dot sides with Optimus, promising that the kids can visit their new friends once things have been sorted out. The children say their goodbyes as the transport drives off, unaware that the driver is actually a disguised Dr. Meridian.

[[File:EarthSpark-SecretLegacyPt2-MandroidWithTerrans.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]
As the kids finish explaining everything, Dot, now joined by [[Alex Malto|Alex]], reprimands them for not coming to them sooner, but Robby and Mo believe they wouldn't have listened and point out that Dot too has been keeping secrets with regard to working with the Transformers again. Their conversation is interrupted by Optimus, who has confirmed there is no record of the G.H.O.S.T. transport or its driver. Realizing the bots have been abducted, the Maltos insist on joining in search and rescue efforts, and use the kids' emotional link with the bots to track them. In his laboratory, Meridian plays friendly host to Twitch and Thrash, claiming their previous Arachnamech encounters were the result of a misunderstanding. As he scans their bodies, he finds them to be hybrids of the organic and technological, unlike normal Cybertronians, and dubs their species "''[[Terran|Cybertronus terrans]]''", leading them to in turn rechristen him "Mandroid", much to his displeasure. As they sense Robby and Mo approaching, the Terrans attempt to leave, but are restrained by Mandroid, who intends to scrap them for parts. Fortunately, Optimus, Megatron and Dot burst through the wall and demand the Terrans' release. Mandroid sends his Arachnamechs to attack them, but Elita crashes through the roof to fill out their numbers. Mandroid remains unfazed, however, and activates his own secret weapons as he makes his getaway: [[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]], [[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]], and [[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]], all under his control. With Megatron's help, Dot makes it past the attackers and frees Twitch and Thrash, while Elita overpowers Hardtop and knocks him out of the building. As Robby, Mo and Alex watch this unfold from the minivan, they find themselves in the sights of the last of Mandroid's Decepticons: the enormous [[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]], who begins attacking the van before being fended off by Twitch and Thrash. As he attempts to defend the van, Thrash is blasted into one of Mandroid's warehouses. Inspired by Mo's story of Rocinante, he scans a motorcycle inside and rushes out at high speed, knocking Skullcruncher to the ground. The kids leave the car and join the Terrans in their fight, while Alex finds himself face to face with Bombshell. Before the Decepticon can smash the van, help arrives in the form of an unexpected newcomer: [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]], who takes down Bombshell with ease.

With the battle over, the Decepticons are rounded up, no longer under Mandroid's control, and Dot embraces her children. Though disappointed that Mandroid escaped, Optimus reveals the true reason he asked Bumblebee to come out of hiding: to become a teacher and mentor for the Terrans. However, Dot refuses to allow them to stay at G.H.O.S.T., stating she will not let anyone take away part of her family, which now includes Twitch and Thrash...which is exactly what Optimus was hoping she'd say, as he believes the Terrans should learn about both of their worlds, and he trusts the Maltos to keep them safe. The Maltos return to the farmhouse as everyone settles into their new circumstances, including a somewhat reluctant Bumblebee. Atop the barn, Robby and Mo reflect that they're going to like it in Witwicky, as they stare up at the stars with their new Terran siblings.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (8)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (18)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (9)
*[[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]] (15)
*[[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]] (16)
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]]'' (17)

|c3=
*[[Dot Malto]] (1)
*[[Robby Malto]] (4)
*[[Mo Malto]] (6)
*[[Mandroid]] (10)
*[[Alex Malto]] (12)
*[[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]] citizens (13)
*[[G.H.O.S.T.]] agent (14)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (5)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (7)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Arachnamech]]s (11)
}}

==Quotes==
"Bet I can name more birds than you!" 
"That's...more mom's thing." 
"Ready, GO! 'Leslie', 'Mike', 'Kerri' with an I, 'Kerry' with a Y, 'Spizwig'..." 
"Pretty sure Spizwig isn't a name." 
"Ssh! You'll hurt his feelings!"
:—'''Twitch''' soundly beats '''Robby''' at bird-naming.

"Autobots, roll out!" 
"I can never tell if he means me."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Megatron''' take to the streets.

'''Optimus Prime:''' [😊😊👍🌹🤖] 
'''Dot:''' Someone's got to stop his emoji abuse. 
'''Megatron:''' ''(calls in)'' The robot gets me every time, ha ha.

"By all means, resist! It's my ''favorite'' part."
:—'''Megatron''' is ready to throw down.

"Your heart's not in this, is it? ...brain either."
:—'''Elita-1''' knows mind-control when she sees it.

"Oh, babies grow up so fast. Seems like just yesterday, I was teaching them how to say...Decepticon?"
:—'''Alex's''' proud parent moment is interrupted by Bombshell.

'''Optimus Prime:''' These young bots... 
'''Twitch:''' Terrans. That's the name Mandroid gave us. 
'''Thrash:''' The ''only'' thing we like about him, by the way.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*

===Transformers references===
* Megatron's status as a reformed villain calls back to his [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|counterpart]] from the [[2005 IDW continuity]]. Here, however, he retains his Decepticon insignia rather than fully switching his allegiance to the Autobots.
* The G.H.O.S.T. trailer containing the drones splits in half down the middle and contains blue robotic armatures, reminiscent of Optimus' [[Combat Deck (G1)|original toy]].
* Alex identifies one of Elita's moves as "Ariel's Gambit", a nod to the original name of her [[Elita One (G1)|G1 counterpart]].

===Real-world references===
*Mo's bike, Rocinante, is named for {{w|Rocinante|the horse of Don Quixote}}. The reference is invoked again when a horse insignia is briefly seen on the motorbike Thrash scans for his alt mode.

===Animation and technical errors===
*The longitude on Dot's coordinates is missing a decimal point; it should read "-75.620294".
*The coordinates Dot gives put the family somewhere near Scranton. However, the interstate signs indicate they are near a point where I-276 and I-95 intersect, which would be about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia near the Delaware River-Turnpike Toll Bridge, about 140 miles to the southeast of the given coordinates.
*When Optimus is explaining Bumblebee's mission of training the Terrans, Hardtop's visor is colored white, as if still under Mandroid's control. He was correctly shown with an orange visor while speaking to Megatron a few shots ago.

===Trivia===
* Most online distribution platforms do not list this episode separately from [[Secret Legacy, Part 1|Part 1]], instead choosing to combine both parts into a single 44-minute video.
* This episode, combined with its first part, was adapted into a "sleep story" for the ''[[Calm]]'' meditation app in April 2023, with Robby narrating it for a recording Mo insists he make as a "historical record".

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Legado Secreto Parte 2'''" ("Secret Legacy Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 12]], 2022

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'héritage secret : Partie 2'''" ("Secret Legacy : Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 29]], 2022

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das geheime Vermächtnis, Teil 2'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 29]], 2022

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Titkos örökség, 2. rész'''" ("Secret Legacy, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 29]], 2022
:** In an odd bit of dubbing inconsistency, whereas most of the translated Transformer names were lifted from the Hungarian release of the [[The_Transformers_(Marvel_comic)|G1 Marvel Comics series]], [[Wheeljack_(ES)|Wheeljack]] is referred to by his ''[[Transformers:_Armada_(cartoon)|Armada]]'' cartoon dub name ("Volán Jack") rather than either of the names used interchangeably in the comics ("Kerék" and "Kormányos Jack"). Likely because of lip sync necessities.
:** Elita's fight maneuver "Ariel's Gambit" is mistranslated as "aerial slam".

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Warisan Rahasia, Bagian 2'''" ("Secret Legacy, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 29]], 2022

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Eredità segreta parte 2'''" ("Secret heritage part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 11]], 2022

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sekretne dziedzictwo: część druga'''" ("Secret Legacy, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 29]], 2022

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2023 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Secret Legacy, Part 1

2025-08-02T10:42:28Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 1
|image=SecretLegacy-Part1-MeetTheTerrans.jpg
|caption=Eeeeeeelliiiiiooooooott...
|prev=
|next=Secret Legacy, Part 2
|title="Secret Legacy, Part 1"
|season=1
|season ep=1
|airdate=[[November 11]], [[2022]]
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writers=[[Nicole Dubuc]] & [[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|directors=[[Jordan Rosato]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/WLm2gauizzFBtag7qQgnjCMlDJZ667rc/
|videosite=Paramount+
|video2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOWawqOMa-M
|videosite2=YouTube
}}

'''A chance encounter leads young Robby and Mo Malto to witness the birth of two new Transformers.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:SecretLegacy-Part1-Elita1vsCons.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Under the cover of night, a [[Arachnamech|spider-like robot]] observes as a lone buggy and SUV enter a train yard. The infiltrators, [[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] and [[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]], transform to robot mode and open a container to reveal an [[Autobot]] [[energon]] stash. The two are giddy that the tip Swindle received was accurate, but their celebration is interrupted by the arrival of [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]], followed by [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] bursting from hiding in another container. Optimus orders the two to surrender, noting that the [[Great War (ES)|war]] is long over and offering them a chance at peace. The two [[Decepticon]]s refuse, however, and open fire before making a quick getaway. Elita pursues and engages them in a two-on-one brawl, dodging their blows and knocking them into the surrounding box cars to arrange them into a makeshift barrier around the two. Revealing that she was the one who gave Swindle the false tip to bait them, she warns them to duck moments before one last container thrown by Optimus lands on top of them. As Optimus approaches, Swindle still refuses to surrender, commenting that there's no way they'll find all the Decepticons left on [[Earth]], but they are interrupted as the spiderbot leaps out and attacks Swindle. Optimus pulls it free, but he quickly finds himself under assault by more of its kind. Swindle takes the opportunity to run while Optimus quickly dispatches the drones. As Hardtop is placed in a prison transport, Elita and Optimus investigate the remains of one of the creatures, curious as to its origins and whether it relates to the recent rumors of Decepticons disappearing. A group of more spiderbots follow the transport and its escorts as they approach the town of [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]], [[Pennsylvania]]...

That same night elsewhere in Witwicky, teenager [[Robby Malto]] has rigged up a makeshift satellite dish from spare parts with help from his sister [[Mo Malto|Mo]], attempting to get a cell phone signal. The device begins to work, but the two are interrupted as their father [[Alex Malto|Alex]] calls them down for dinner. As the family eats, Robby expresses frustration with his parents for moving the family from [[Philadelphia]] to the middle of nowhere for his mother [[Dot Malto|Dot]]'s new park ranger job. As the argument comes to a head, Robby storms off to his room. Mo offers to try and talk to him, but when she arrives upstairs, she finds Robby absent, having snuck out and taken off on his bike.

[[File:SecretLegacy-Part1-MoRobbyFight.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
Mo pursues Robby, who declares he is heading back to Philly on his own. As she attempts to keep up, the chain dislodges from her bike, leaving her stuck. Seeing this, Robby turns around and agrees to fix the bike before he leaves, but his repairs are interrupted as the massive prison transport begins coming up behind him. The two siblings attempt to run, but find themselves blocked on the opposite side by approaching spiderbots. The drones open fire on the convoy, flipping the transport truck, and the Maltos barely manage to escape as it comes crashing down, the two landing in a gulley below. Robby offers to take Mo back to the house, but when she asks if this means he's staying, Robby continues to refuse. Mo calls out Robby on his change in behavior, and the two get into a screaming match, but their attention is drawn to a nearby cave when it starts glowing with a strange blue light. Curious, they look inside, finding it empty, only for the floor to give way beneath them, and they fall deeper inside.

[[File:SecretLegacy-Part1-RobbyMoThrashTwitch.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Ain't got a human heart but I feel it when we spark]]
As they come to a stop, the two find themselves in front of a glowing pool, with a [[Emberstone|strange rock]] sitting in the middle. Investigating closer, Robby accidentally knocks the rock from its plinth. As he and Mo place it back, the rock and surrounding pool begin to glow with green light, as a [[Quintus Prime|mysterious voice]] calls them the "legacy of hope". Strange tendrils emerge from the stone and wrap around the children's arms, preventing them from letting go, before coalescing into strange [[cyber-sleeve|mechanical gauntlets]] on their arms. More shocking, however, is when two creatures begin forming from the energy in the water, coalescing into large humanoid machines. As the light fades, Robby and Mo are initially frightened by the newcomers, but to their surprise, it seems the two are just as frightened of ''them''. The kids realize that not only can they somehow sense the robots' feelings through their new "cyber-sleeves", but they now know their names to be [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]], the same way that the bots now know theirs. Realizing they are now connected by the cyber-sleeves, the humans cautiously approach and offer a hand in friendship, which the bots reciprocate. A spiderbot spots the four and attacks, but Twitch suddenly manifests a laser cannon and blasts it before it can do any harm. Robby realizes that the two are [[Transformer]]s, and the siblings decide to bring them home with them. Unbeknownst to them, footage of the encounter is being observed by the spiderbots' [[Mandroid|creator]], who now has Hardtop in his captivity. As one of the spiderbots removes Hardtop's arm, the scientist teases that he has big plans for Hardtop...

[[File:SecretLegacy-Part1-AlexTellsStory.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
The Maltos lead Twitch and Thrash to their barn, where they intend to hide the pair until they can figure out how to explain the situation to their parents. Promising to help them learn more about being Transformers in the morning, Robby and Mo give the bots some [[Transformers (fictional comic)|''Transformers'' comic books]] to read as a head-start. The next morning, Robby wakes up to find Mo struggling to keep the eager bots under control. As Dot leaves for work, she narrowly avoids spotting the bots in an impromptu game of hide-and-seek. Realizing the comics might not have been the best approach to teaching, Robby and Mo decide to instead use their father's extensive Transformer knowledge to assist them. Hiding the bots in the barn again, they lure Alex outside with a picnic and ask him to retell the story of how the Transformers came to Earth. Alex explains that the Transformers hail from the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], where the Autobots and Decepticons battled for millions of years before eventually arriving on Earth via [[space bridge|spacebridge]] in [[1984]]. There, the Autobots were aided by brave human allies, including Dot, against the Decepticons. For the sake of the universe, Optimus Prime ultimately decided to destroy the spacebridge, cutting them all off from Cybertron in the hopes that the humans and Cybertronians could coexist peacefully, ending the war, though Alex's idol [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] hasn't been seen since. Though they listen to the story, Twitch and Thrash still feel disconnected from the other Transformers and their history, and instead want to learn more about Earth.

On her way to work, Dot comes across the wreckage of the prison transport and begins to block off the area, only for Optimus and Elita to arrive shortly thereafter, much to her displeasure. Optimus warns the former lieutenant that Witwicky may be in danger, but Dot reminds him that their association ended after the war. However, Optimus and Elita reveal that her park ranger position was arranged by [[G.H.O.S.T.]], a secret military organization they work with to ensure peaceful human-Cybertronian relations, so Dot would be closer to their headquarters. Before Dot can properly process the circumstances, their attention is drawn to the sound of an approaching military helicopter. Touching down in front of them, the tiltrotor transforms into a massive robot.

[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] has arrived.

==Featured characters==
''Italicized characters appear only in Alex's story.''
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (5)
*''[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]]'' (14)
*''[[Bluestreak (ES)|Bluestreak]]'' (19)
*''[[Jazz (ES)|Jazz]]'' (20)
*''[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]]'' (22)
*''[[Ironhide (ES)|Ironhide]]'' (23)
*''[[Ratchet (ES)|Ratchet]]'' (24)
*''[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]]'' (25)
*''[[Cliffjumper (ES)|Cliffjumper]]'' (26)
*''[[Gears (ES)|Gears]]'' (27)

|c2=
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] (2)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (3)
*''[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]]'' (15)
*''[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]]'' (16)
*''[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]]'' (17)
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (18)
*''[[Thundercracker (ES)|Thundercracker]]'' (21)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (6)
*[[Mo Malto]] (7)
*[[Alex Malto]] (8)
*[[Dot Malto]] (9)
*[[Mandroid|Dr. Meridian]] (13)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (11)
*[[Twitch]] (12)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Arachnamech]]s (1)
*[[Quintus Prime]]* (10)
}}
:''*Voice-only appearance''

==Quotes==
"What did the petrified boy say about my cooking? It rocks!"
:—'''Alex''', master of the dad joke.

"That's how scary movies start. It could be a mutant lightning bug egg. Or turn your hand into goo! Or maybe, it's the cursed eyeball of a dinosaur god!"
:—'''Mo''' is as genre savvy as they get.

"We read your history books! These Transformers guys are bananas!" 
"Strange, they were vehicles in the issues I read."
:—'''Thrash''' and '''Twitch''' are eager to learn.

"Did I change into vehicle mode? I feel so...minivan!"
:—We give '''Twitch''' points for effort.

"Handheld food and history is the way to my heart."
:—'''Alex''' knows what he likes.

"Like I always say: ''Bee'' an Optimist Prime, not a Negatron."
:—We're genuinely shocked '''Alex''' is the first person in the franchise to make this joke.

'''Dot:''' "You messed up my cones." 
'''Elita-1:''' "Sorry, Dot. OP's having...a day." 
'''Optimus Prime:''' "Which ''continues''..."

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*While the animation style of Alex's story seems to imply that ''EarthSpark'' is a sequel to the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]], there's simply too many incongruities both big and small for that to be possible, such as Grimlock being around on Cybertron as opposed to built on Earth, the Autobots coming to Earth via spacebridge in the 80s rather than via the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' millions of years ago, and, of course, the whole future sci-fi scenario of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and all that happened after it (twenty-ish years before ''EarthSpark'' is set!) never having happened. Elements of it also contradict the show itself: younger versions of Robby and Mo are shown despite them being born after the war, and the actual final battle for the spacebridge is later shown in "[[Warzone]]", depicted very differently than what's shown here. Like the use of original cartoon footage in the [[Transform and Roll Out|premiere episode]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', it's best not to take it literally or as an indicator of continuity placement and just enjoy it for the awesome tribute that it is, an exaggerated retelling told by a middle-aged fanboy through the lens of 80's nostalgia.

===Transformers references===
*Hardtop, and his status as Swindle's brother, is a reference to the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)| Cybertron]]'' [[Hardtop (Cybertron)|character]].
*We get our first look at [[energon]], which is notably pink (a color usually kept for ''Generation 1'' media), instead of the blue color used during the 2010s in cartoons like ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''.
*Optimus drops the series' first "more [...] than meets the eye" while observing the Arachnamech.
*The town of Witwicky shares its name with the [[Witwicky (surname)|Witwicky family]], several members of which appear as allies of the Autobots in various stories dating back to the start of the franchise.
*The language that appears during the creation of Twitch and Thrash is the now commonly-used [[Cybertronian language|Ancient Autobot]] font. Translating it reveals the same phrase uttered by the mysterious voice, "legacy of hope".
*The comics the kids give to Twitch and Thrash feature art heavily inspired by the original [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]]. Notably, it uses the same title and logo as [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'', which character designer [[Nick Roche]] worked on. [[Seaspray (ES)|Seaspray]] also puts in an appearance on one of the covers.
*Alex's history of the Transformers is, of course, one big, geeky, glorious homage to the original cartoon, filled with tons of little nods and references.
**Alex notes that the Transformers arrived on Earth on [[September 17]], [[1984]], the original airdate of the premiere episode, "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".
**The subsequent flashback sequence is rendered using the same limited 2D animation as the original, with all the characters rendered using their original animation models, and some poses and scenes being directly redrawn from the original series. The aspect ratio even shrinks from widescreen to 4:3!
**Alex's introduction of Optimus and Megatron sees them quote their lines from their final standoff in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', even perfectly recreating the character animation.
**[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker's]] attack pose during the melee scene in space is redrawn from "[[Divide and Conquer]]", while [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz's]] is from the first season's commercial bumper. The poses for Starscream, Soundwave, and Grimlock all come from "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]", and Bluestreak's comes from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]".
**Starscream's dodging Bumblebee's blast comes from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 3".
**Optimus's pose while standing in the spacebridge to Earth is taken from the end of "S.O.S. Dinobots".
**The spacebridge animations are closely based on those seen in episodes such as "Divide and Conquer" and "[[Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion]]". As Optimus emerges from it, his run towards the camera is based on a sequence from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]" that also appeared in the credits sequence.
**Among the Autobots' human allies is [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] on Bumblebee's shoulder; the two were close friends in the original cartoon.
**The sequence of the Decepticons running towards the screen is based on a similar shot in the cartoon's first season intro sequence, albeit without Thundercracker and Skywarp in the background this time.
**The shot of Optimus staring up at the sky comes from "More Than Meets The Eye, Part 3".
**The lineup of Autobots shooting down at the spacebridge is pulled from a similar shot in "Transport to Oblivion".
**The image of post-war rebuilding includes a shot of Optimus bending down to speak to Spike and [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] redrawn from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2". The crane in the shot also uses [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple's]] animation model, though it's unclear whether this is actually Grapple himself.

===Real-world references===
*The photo of Alex and Dot on Robby's phone is of them cosplaying as the eponymous characters of ''{{w|Men in Black (franchise)|Men in Black}}'', with Dot holding a spoon in place of the series' Neuralyzer devices.
*Robby compares Mo cracking the floor with a rock to [[John Henry]].

===Animation and technical errors===
*In a shot during the skirmish between Elita-1 against Swindle and Hardtop, after Elita nearly topples a shipping container onto Swindle, Hardtop's visor is erroneously colored white.

===Trivia===
* As a "sneak peek", the episode was released a few days early via the Nickelodeon UK YouTube channel on November 7th; however, the video was region-locked and only accessible to viewers in the [[United Kingdom]].
* Most online distribution platforms do not list this episode separately from [[Secret Legacy, Part 2|Part 2]], instead choosing to combine both parts into a single 44-minute video; the aforementioned Nickelodeon UK YouTube release remains one of the only exceptions.
* The credits feature a dedication to former Hasbro CEO [[Brian Goldner]], who passed away in October 2021.
* This episode, combined with its second part, was adapted into a "sleep story" for the ''[[Calm]]'' meditation app in April 2023, with Robby narrating it for a recording Mo insists he make as a "historical record".

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Legado Secreto Parte 1'''" ("Secret Legacy Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 12]], 2022
::*There is a significant error in this episode's dub: during Alex's story, the Transformers' arrival on Earth is said to have taken place in [[1974]] instead of 1984.

'''Chinese Simplified'''
:*''Title:'' "'''隐秘的遗产上'''" ("Secret Heritage Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 18]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'héritage secret : Partie 1'''" ("Secret Legacy : Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 28]], 2022

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das geheime Vermächtnis, Teil 1'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 18]], 2022

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Titkos örökség, 1. rész'''" ("Secret Legacy, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 28]], 2022

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Warisan Rahasia, Bagian 1'''" ("Secret Legacy, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 20]], 2022

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Eredita segreta parte 1'''" ("Secret heritage part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 11]], 2022
::*In a funny bit of trivia, the whole scene of Alex retelling the Cybertronian war and voicing Optimus Prime gets an extra layer in the Italian dub as he's voiced by [[Emiliano Reggente]], the son of [[Diego Reggente]], the original Italian voice of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|G1 Optimus Prime]].

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sekretne dziedzictwo: część pierwsza'''" ("Secret Legacy, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 18]], 2022 - Premiered on Youtube

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2023 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)

2025-08-02T10:40:58Z

Silverfoil:

{{Nav-earthspark}}
[[File:Transformers-EarthSpark-Poster-Nick.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|[[Nick Roche|By Nick,]] [[Nickelodeon|for Nick]].]]
'''''Transformers: EarthSpark'' ''' is an animated series that made its debut in November [[2022]] in support of the [[franchises|franchise]] of [[Transformers: EarthSpark (franchise)|the same name]]. First announced on [[February 25]], [[2021]], alongside ''[[Transformers: BotBots (cartoon)|Transformers: BotBots]]'',<ref>[https://deadline.com/2021/02/nickelodeon-orders-transformers-animated-comedy-series-hasbro-franchise-1234700661/ Nickelodeon Orders 'Transformers' Animated Series Based On Hasbro Franchise — Deadline]</ref> the series was co-produced by [[Entertainment One]], [[Hasbro Entertainment]] and [[Nickelodeon Animation Studio]]. In the U.S., the series premiered on [[Paramount+]] on [[November 11]], 2022 with the first 10 episodes of the season. The series also airs on [[Nickelodeon]], with the first two episodes premiering on the same date as a special preview, and the rest of the series premiering on [[February 10]], 2023; a Japanese release followed in October 2023. Following a normal-length first season, the series split its original second season into smaller ones [[Netflix]]-style for the remainder of its run, with the new second and third seasons premiering in June and October 2024 respectively.

{{bigquote|What you are doesn't define who you are. We are all -- MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE!|Tagline}}

==Premise==
Fifteen years after the end of the [[Great War (ES)|war]] between the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s, young [[human]]s [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto]] are struggling to adapt after moving from [[Philadelphia]] to the small town of [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]], [[Pennsylvania]]. When they find a [[Emberstone|strange object]] in a cave, it grants them mysterious robotic [[cyber-sleeve]]s and gives life to [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]]—the first ever [[Transformer]]s to be born on [[Earth]]. Bonded to them through their cyber-sleeves, the Maltos adopt the two [[Terran]]s into their family. The Autobots, now working with [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] and the secret human organization [[G.H.O.S.T.]] to protect Earth from the remaining rogue Decepticons, reach out to the Maltos and offer the Terrans the chance to be mentored by [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]]. With new threats on the horizon, such as the mad scientist [[Mandroid]] and the various Decepticons still at large, the Maltos work together to keep each other safe and learn more about each other, including what it truly means to be a family.

==Characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] ([[Danny Pudi]])
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Alan Tudyk]])
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] ([[Cissy Jones]])
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] ([[Michael T. Downey]])
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] ([[Keith David]])
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] ([[Martha Marion]])
*[[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]] ([["Weird Al" Yankovic]])
*[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] ([[Eric Bauza]])
|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] ([[Rory McCann]])
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] ([[Steve Blum]])
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] ([[Nolan North]])
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (Nolan North)
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] ([[Nicole Dubuc]])
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (Nicole Dubuc)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] ([[Sean Kenin Reyes]])
**[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] ([[Tiana Camacho]])
**[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] ([[Jake Green]])
**[[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]]
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] ([[Roger Craig Smith]])
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] ([[Troy Baker]])
*[[Tarantulas (ES)|Tarantulas]] ([[Alfie Allen]])
*[[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]]
*[[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]]
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]]
*[[Brawl (ES)|Brawl]]
|h3=[[Terran]]s||c3=
;Malto family
*[[Twitch]] ([[Kathreen Khavari]])
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] ([[Zeno Robinson]])
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] ([[Stephanie Lemelin]])
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] ([[Cyrus Arnold]])
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] ([[Z Infante]])
;Chaos Terrans
*[[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] ([[Flea]])
*[[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] ([[Zelda Williams]])
;Titans
*[[Terratronus]] ([[Claudia Black]])
|h4=[[Human]]s||c4=
;Malto family
*[[Robby Malto]] ([[Sydney Mikayla]])
*[[Mo Malto]] ([[Zion Broadnax]])
*[[Dot Malto]] ([[Benni Latham]])
*[[Alex Malto]] ([[Jon Jon Briones]])
;[[G.H.O.S.T.]]
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] ([[Kari Wahlgren]])
*[[Mandroid]] ([[Diedrich Bader]])
*[[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]] ([[Marc Evan Jackson]])
*[[Bala|Agent Bala]] ([[Krizia Bajos]])
*[[Bagheri|Agent Bagheri]] (Kathreen Khavari)
*[[Kwan|Cadet Kwan]] ([[Sherry Cola]])
*[[Conway|Cadet Conway]] ([[Jason Marsden]])
*[[Rosato|Cadet Rosato]] ([[Kaitlyn Robrock]])
;Others
*[[Fairmaestro]] ([[Richard Ayoade]])
*[[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] ([[Siena Agudong]])
*[[Smelt|Mr. Smelt]] ([[Daran Norris]])
*[[Mischa]] ([[Grace Lu]])
*[[Bruno Lowe]] ([[Dasan Turner]])
*[[Stevie]] ([[Luca Diaz]])
*[[Sam (ES)|Sam]] ([[Alisha Mullally]])
*[[Taylor (ES)|Taylor]] (Kaitlyn Robrock)
|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Quintus Prime]] ([[Clancy Brown]])
*[[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]] ([[Betsy Sodaro]])
*[[Quintesson Executioner (ES)|Quintesson Executioner]] ([[Fred Tatasciore]])
*[[V.A.L.]] (Cissy Jones)
*[[Arachnamech]]s
*[[Fluffy Ears]]
*[[Dweller (ES)|The Dweller]]
*[[Ghoid]]s
;[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]
*[[Blitzwave]] (Nolan North)
*[[Razor-Fin]] (Steve Blum)
|nonumbering=true}}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of EarthSpark episodes}}

===Season 1===
{{collist|4|
# [[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]
# [[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]
# [[Moo-ving In]]
# [[House Rules]]
# [[Classified]]
# [[Traditions]]
# [[Friends and Family]]
# [[Decoy (episode)|Decoy]]
# [[Age of Evolution, Part 1]]
# [[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]
# [[Hashtag: Oops]]
# [[Outtakes]]
# [[Missed Connection]]
# [[Security Protocols]]
# [[Bear Necessities]]
# [[Warzone]]
# [[Home, Part 1]]
# [[Home, Part 2]]
# [[A Stygi Situation]]
# [[Disarmed]]
# [[What Dwells Within]]
# [[Prime Time (episode)|Prime Time]]
# [[Stowed Away, Stowaways]]
# [[The Battle of Witwicky]]
# [[The Last Hope, Part 1]]
# [[The Last Hope, Part 2]]
}}

===Season 2===
{{collist|4|
#[[Aftermath (ES episode)|Aftermath]]
#[[In Ruins]]
#[[Control Alt Delete]]
#[[The Butterfly Effect]]
#[[Togetherness]]
#[[Spitfire (episode)|Spitfire]]
#[[The Imposters]]
#[[Dude, Where's My Trailer?]]
#[[Witwicky, Part 1]]
#[[Witwicky, Part 2]]
}}

===Season 3===
{{collist|4|
#[[The Need for Read]]
#[[Attack of the Drive-In Movie]]
#[[The Great Escape]]
#[[No Soldier Left Behind]]
#[[Fire and Ice]]
#[[The Truth Is Out There]]
#[[Judgment Day, Part 1]]
#[[Judgment Day, Part 2]]
}}

==Creative team==
The series was developed for television by [[Dale Malinowski]], [[Nicole Dubuc]], and [[Ant Ward]], who all served as executive producers; [[Ciro Nieli]] joined them in executive-producing the first two-parter, but stepped back to the role of "consulting producer" for the rest of the season. Dubuc also served as story editor for the first season, being joined in the role by [[Mae Catt]] partway through production. Other staff include supervising director [[Glen Murakami]]; storyboard directors [[J.J. Conway]], [[Matthew Humphreys]], [[Alex Kwan]], [[Sebastian Montes]], and [[Jordan Rosato]]; staff writers [[Bernard Badion]], [[Isabel Galupo]], and [[Maasai Singleton]]; character designers [[Nick Roche]] and [[Angelo Vilar]]; voice director [[Kristi Reed]]; and series composers [[Crush Effect]]. The season featured 3D [[computer-generated imagery|CG animation]] by Canadian production house [[Icon Creative Studio]].

''EarthSpark'' underwent a notable shakeup in production for its second season. Dubuc officially departed as executive producer and story editor, having already stepped away from the series halfway through the first season to work on a new project. Mae Catt also did not return as story editor, and was succeeded in the position by [[Amy Wolfram]]. The entire stable of storyboard directors and staff writers were also replaced: taking their places are directors [[Vinton Heuck|Vinton T. Heuck]], [[Will Ruzicka]], [[Scooter Tidwell]], and [[Sheldon Vella]], and writers [[Ian Busch]] and [[Matt Wayne]]. Animation duties were transferred to Indian animation studio [[88 Pictures]]; series CG Supervisor [[Michael Launder]] explained that the change of studio was due to the fact that the stresses of production during season one had caused "the mental health and well being" of the Icon and Nick teams to suffer.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Some background: hasbro and nick decided to switch to a new studio as the mental health and well being of icon and the nick team was suffering during S1.|link=https://twitter.com/mtlaunder/status/1799443950358692082|name=Michael Launder|site=Twitter|title=|year=2024|month=06|day=08}}</ref>

==Home video releases==
{{main|Paramount Pictures#EarthSpark}}
;United States
*''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 (2023)
*''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 (2024)

==Notes==
*The series was originally planned to premiere on Nickelodeon first, with international releases to follow. At Nickelodeon's upfront in March 2022, a newer announcement clarified that the series would premiere globally on Paramount+ in November 2022.<ref>[https://www.theilluminerdi.com/2022/03/30/transformers-earthspark-november/ Transformers: EarthSpark Rolls Out on Paramount+ This November]</ref> While its presence on the channel itself remained unclear leading up to release, the first two episodes also premiered on Nick the same day, both in the US and most international markets.
*Early in its development, the show was titled "''Transformers: Home World''".

===Foreign names===
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Dìqiú Huǒzhǒng''''' (变形金刚：地球火种, "Transformers: EarthSpark")
*''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: A Centelha da Terra''''' ("Transformers: EarthSpark")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: La Chispa de la Tierra''''' ('Transformers: Earth Spark")
*''Polish:'' '''''Transformers - Iskra Ziemi''''' ("Transformers - Spark Of Earth")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/transformers-earthspark/ ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' on Paramount+]
*[https://www.nick.com/shows/transformers-earthspark/ EarthSpark on Nick.com]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Earthspark}}
[[Category:EarthSpark| ]]
[[Category:Television series]]

The Last Hope, Part 2

2025-08-02T10:39:09Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 26
|image=TheLastHopePart2Thumbnail.jpg
|caption="We could have built the future ''together''!" "I'll build it myself, after I tear down everyone '''IN MY WAY!'''"
|prev=The Last Hope, Part 1
|next=Aftermath (ES episode)
|title="The Last Hope, Part 2"
|season=1
|season ep=26
|airdate=[[July 28]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[April 20]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[J.J. Conway]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/XHFKDq41DcmbCexqIO33FTCo17_n9et2/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''With time of the essence, the Terrans unite to bring down Mandroid's superweapon and save their family.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Twitch]], [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] and [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] stare up at the huge structure topped with the [[space bridge]], which [[Mandroid]] intends to use to wipe out [[Autobot]], [[Decepticon]] and [[Terran]] alike. Together with [[Jon Schloder|Schloder]], they resolve to do all they can to stop the maniac's plan and head off towards the tower.

Mandroid notes that his weapon still needs to finish charging, as it draws power from [[Mo Malto|Mo]] and [[Robby Malto|Robby]]'s [[cyber-sleeve]]s. He orders [[Blitzwave]] and [[Razor-Fin]] to guard the spire, and begins to put his other defense plan into action, activating his badge controller. As Bumblebee drives along, he is suddenly rammed from the side by the mind-controlled [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]], sending him tumbling. Fortunately both he and Schloder survive the experience, but as Nightshade and Twitch help them up, [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] drives into view, her eyes similarly glowing white. The group flees to the railyard to hide, pursued by the two Mandroid-controlled Autobots. During the resulting fight, Mandroid's [[Cyber Slayer]] is knocked from Nightshade's hands and under a train, leading Bumblebee to attempt to take on Optimus while the others retrieve it. Schloder grabs the Cyber Slayer, but the trio soon find themselves pursued by Elita-1. Schloder is knocked unconscious during the chase, and Twitch ends up pinned under fallen containers. With Elita-1 closing in, all seems lost, until Nightshade drops a crane on her and uses the Cyber Slayer to drain her energon. They're then able to help Bumblebee against Optimus, but the Autobot leader still proves more than a match. Before he can finish them, the tide turns as [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]], [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] and [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] return to join the fight. Together, they keep him busy long enough for Twitch to use the Cyber Slayer on him. After the newcomers are filled in on current events, the group once again heads for Mandroid's fortress.

At the end of a bridge, they're again abruptly stopped by [[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] and [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]], and their retreat is cut off by a wall of flame produced by [[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]]. Bumblebee and Schloder stay to keep the Autobots busy, while the Terrans fly off to face Mandroid himself. As they near the spire, they again come under fire, this time from the Sharkticons. While Jawbreaker, Nightshade and Hashtag keep them busy, Twitch and Thrash fly up the tower. Twitch confronts Mandroid directly as a distraction while Thrash sneaks up to the space bridge, but he proves unfazed by the Terran. Instead, Mandroid holds up his badge controller and [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] flies into view. Transforming, Megatron knocks Twitch down and aims his [[fusion cannon]] at her. Thrash frantically tells Twitch to fly, giving away his position but giving Twitch the opportunity she needs to escape. Locked in combat with Mandroid, Thrash tries to point out that the scientist has turned himself into exactly what he hates, but his arguments fall on deaf ears, as do Twitch's attempts to break Megatron free of his control. As a swarm of Megatron's missiles close in on Twitch, they're countered by a barrage from the other direction — [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] has arrived with the rest of the Decepticons and some [[G.H.O.S.T.]] agents, having heard what they did for the other Decepticons and deciding to join the fight.

Twitch heads back to confront Mandroid with Thrash, and the pair are able to overcome their foe, but he responds by announcing the end of the age of Transformers, bringing the space bridge weapon online. A blast of energy is unleashed, and every Autobot, Decepticon, Terran and Sharkticon drops to the ground. The energy sweeps around [[Earth]], and Mandroid triumphantly laughs that the world is finally free of "those monsters" before falling silent. Twitch is the only one to survive, partially shielded from the blast thanks to Thrash throwing himself on her to protect her, and breaks down in tears. The human members of the Malto family regain consciousness and free themselves from Mandroid's device, only to see what Mandroid has done. They too begin to mourn, but when [[Robby Malto|Robby]]'s cyber-sleeve glows at his tears, he realizes he and Mo can use the power of [[Quintus Prime]] to heal everyone. Sitting on Mandroid's throne, the kids touch their sleeves together and the [[Emberstone]] appears between them. Quintus's power runs through Mandroid's device and then across the planet, restoring the Transformers to life. The Malto family, back together again, embrace as Quintus projects a huge [[insignia]] above the spire, one which the family identifies as their own. As they leave, Robby and Mo agree that they love it in [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]].

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (10)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (11)
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] (15)
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (16)
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (17)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (18)
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] (19)
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] (20)
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (21)
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] (22)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (23)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (24)
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] (26)
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (31)

|c3=
*[[Jon Schloder]] (4)
*[[Mo Malto]] (6)
*[[Robby Malto]] (7)
*[[Rosato|Agent Rosato]] (27)
*[[Conway|Agent Conway]] (28)
*[[Dot Malto]] (29)
*[[Alex Malto]] (30)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (1)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (2)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (12)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (13)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (14)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Mandroid]] (5)
*[[Blitzwave]] (8)
*[[Razor-Fin]] (9)
*[[Fluffy Ears]] (32)
*[[Quintus Prime]] (33)
}}

==Quotes==
"How do we stop Mandroid now?" 
"We fight. Every Cybertronian on Earth is counting on us, and so is our family."
:—'''Twitch''' and '''Nightshade'''

"I'll be honest. We don't stand much chance against Mandroid, but we're their last hope. What do you say?"
:—'''Twitch''' gives a stirring if not completely optimistic speech.

"Starscream?!" 
"The news spread quickly of your—" 
"Awthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" 
"Yes! OK! That's enough... affection."
:—'''Twitch''' welcomes '''Starscream''' to the battle.

'''Jawbreaker:''' "Wow. It's like a symbol..." 
'''Bumblebee:''' "Of hope." 
'''Nightshade:''' "Of us Terrans...nay, Maltos."

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*While battling Mandroid, Twitch uses her arm cannon to propel herself forward to attack Mandroid with increased momentum, Megatron used this same move while battling the Seekers back in "[[Age of Evolution, Part 1]]".
*Quintus once again refers to the Maltos as the "Legacy of Hope", as he first did back in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]".
*The last lines of the season are Robby telling Mo he thinks he loves it in Witwicky and her agreeing; this mimics the last lines of "[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]", which was the other way around.
*This episode marks the debut of the [[Terran]] insignia in the series.

===Transformers references===
*Schloder yells "Rescue Bots to the rescue!", a paraphrasing of [[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]]'s catchphrase from the ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'' cartoon.
*Hardtop's horn plays the classic "[[theme song|Ro-bots in dis-guise!]]" melody.

===Real-world references===

===Errors===

===Trivia===
* Like previous two-parters, most online distribution platforms, such as [[Paramount+]], do not list this episode separately from Part 2, instead choosing to combine both parts into a single 44-minute video.
* According to storyboard artist [[India Swift]], the resurrection sequence was actually animated to sync up with "[[The Touch]]", as the showrunners had hoped to license the song for the episode.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The last bit with all of the Transformers being resurrected was actually timed to ‘The Touch’ by Stan Bush, in case we could get it for the finale!|link=https://www.tumblr.com/oldswifty/725026399658885120/here-is-pt3-of-the-earthspark-finale-big-spoilers|name=India Swift|site=Tumblr|year=2023|month=08|day=07}}</ref>

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Última Esperança, Parte 2'''" ("The Last Hope, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023
::*Twitch calling the Sharkticons "air sharks" is kept in English and treated as if that's their actual name instead of something she just came up with on the spot.
::*Nightshade's line "Of us Terrans...nay, Maltos" is changed to an equivalent of "Of us Terrans...isn't it, Maltos?"

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le dernier espoir, Partie 2'''" ("The Last Hope, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 14]], 2023

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Végső reményszikra, 2. rész'''" ("Final Spark of Hope, part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 7]], 2023

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Harapan Terakhir, Bagian 2'''" ("The Last Hope, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ostatnia nadzieja, część druga'''" ("Last hope, part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 7]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{epstub}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Hope, Part 2}}
[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

The Last Hope, Part 1

2025-08-02T10:38:29Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 25
|image=Mandroidnewform.jpg
|caption="We're gonna need a bigger Terran..."
|prev=The Battle of Witwicky
|next=The Last Hope, Part 2
|title="The Last Hope, Part 1"
|season=1
|season ep=25
|airdate=[[July 28]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[April 20]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Matthew Humphreys]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/XHFKDq41DcmbCexqIO33FTCo17_n9et2/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''With Mandroid having returned more dangerous than ever, the Maltos are put on the defensive as they struggle to survive.'''

==Synopsis==
At the Malto farm, a portal crackles in the sky as the newly-returned and augmented [[Mandroid]] opens a panel in his new cybernetic body to reveal his face. When [[Karen Croft|Croft]] expresses surprise at his appearance, he reveals that by his clock he's gone for about a year. His henchmen, [[Blitzwave]] and [[Razor-Fin]], also swoop down from the portal and Mandroid explains that he liberated the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s' [[Aquatron|planet]] from their oppressors. When [[Twitch]] defiantly asserts they'll defeat Mandroid, he responds by draining [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]'s energon with the [[Cyber Slayer]], putting the [[Decepticon]] in shutdown. Mandroid demands they turn over [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]]'s [[cyber-sleeve]]s, at which point the Maltobots attack him, leaving him on the back foot long enough for the entire family to make a run for it. He sends the two Sharkticons after them, and when Croft asks pointedly about the changes Mandroid's control device seems to be making to her, he invites her to meet him at the [[space bridge]].

As the Maltos flee through the woods, the pursuing Sharkticons bring trees down ahead of them. The Maltobots attempt to avoid the falling trees, but in the process, [[Alex Malto|Alex]] and [[Dot Malto|Dot]] are thrown into the air and Razor-Fin swallows them whole. The shocked kids have no choice but to continue their flight, lest Robby and Mo be captured. The Sharkicons manage to catch up while they're still trying to formulate a plan, and a rocket from the pair sends [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]], [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] plummeting down a waterfall. [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] and [[Twitch]] attempt an aerial escape with Robby and Mo until Mandroid shoots them down. A fight ensues, with the four Maltos managing to overcome the two Sharkticons. However, Mandroid knocks Nightshade and Twitch aside, seizing the two humans and draining the energy from their cyber-sleeves before tossing them into Razor-Fin's mouth. Blitzwave blasts the remaining pair with missiles as the evil trio depart. The pair dig themselves out of the rubble and Nightshade attempts to raise the spirits of a now-despondent Twitch.

[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] and [[Jon Schloder|Schloder]] are playing a card game in a G.H.O.S.T. cell. [[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] accuses Bee of cheating just before the power cuts out. Twitch and Nightshade make quick work of the [[Ghoid]] guards and cut the power to Bee and Schloder's cell, before Twitch insists they free the Decepticons as well, given G.H.O.S.T. has not turned out to be all that was promised. Schloder announces G.H.O.S.T. is finished, dramatically pulling off his badge, but the kids have already deactivated all of the cells. They attempt to talk the 'Cons into helping fight Mandroid, but the former prisoners aren't interested and depart. The remaining group head to the space bridge, where they spy on Croft and Mandroid. The latter explains that Croft's scarring is due to an infusion of [[energon]] from the badge controller. He activates the space bridge to demonstrate how it can be weaponized to target energon, causing Croft's skin to slowly decay until a burst of energy leaps from the bridge to her, killing her outright. Mandroid intends to power up the bridge, which will allow him to eliminate every energon-based being on the planet. Twitch has to restrain Schloder as they come up with a counter-plan, but his rage at the death of his sister causes him to charge Mandroid regardless. Nightshade uses their [[hologram emitter]] to cover Schloder by creating an army of fakes of themself, as the others join the bum rush. Bumblebee makes it to the space bridge, but Mandroid attacks him before he can make the required changes, swiftly overcoming the Autobot. Twitch and Nightshade attempt to come to Bee's rescue, leading to Mandroid impaling Nightshade with his Cyber Slayer...but then the hologram fades, revealing it's actually the unharmed Schloder, who blasts Mandroid and takes possession of the Cyber Slayer. Everyone piles through the space bridge to escape, but as Twitch leaps, she spots the four human members of the Malto family, unconscious and wired into the tangle of mechanical vines linked to the bridge.

Twitch lands on the other side of the space bridge link and Bee blasts the receiving pad, shutting down the portal. She quickly explains to the others what she saw, but before they can formulate a rescue plan, the ground shakes and a huge edifice rises from the ground, topped with the space bridge and Mandroid himself.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (4)
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (19)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (11)
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] (21)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (22)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (23)
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] (24)
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]] (25)
*[[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]] (26)
*[[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]] (27)
|c3=
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (1)
*[[Dot Malto]] (7)
*[[Robby Malto]] (14)
*[[Mo Malto]] (15)
*[[Alex Malto]] (16)
*[[Jon Schloder]] (20)
|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (8)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (9)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (10)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (12)
*[[Twitch]] (13)
|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Ghoid]]s (2)
*[[Mandroid]] (6)
*[[Blitzwave]] (17)
*[[Razor-Fin]] (18)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ugh, a foul stench." 
"I wonder how they taste."
:—'''Razor-Fin''' and '''Blitzwave''' eye up the humans.

"Twitch, you are capable of lighting our darkest hour. Shine, and I will follow you anywhere."
:—'''Nightshade''' encourages their sister.

"Please, don't give up on Earth." 
"Earth ain't exactly been home to us."
:—'''Twitch''' is unsuccessful in convincing '''Breakdown''' to help.

"This is for my sister."
:—'''Schloder''' out for revenge.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*As with the previous episode, this picks up where the previous one left off.
*While the weapon Mandroid wields goes unnamed in this two-parter, later episodes will reveal it's called the Cyber Slayer.
*Nightshade's hologram emitter was previously seen being brought into G.H.O.S.T. HQ by Bumblebee during his infiltration in "[[Stowed Away, Stowaways]]".

===Transformers references===
*Although Mandroid doesn't name the oppressors he freed the Sharkticons from, previous ''Transformers'' series have traditionally depicted the species as servants of the [[Quintesson]]s. A sign of things to come, perhaps...?
*Nightshade tells Twitch that she can light their [[darkest hour]].

===Real-world references===

===Errors===

===Trivia===
* Like previous two-parters, most online distribution platforms, such as [[Paramount+]], do not list this episode separately from Part 2, instead choosing to combine both parts into a single 44-minute video.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Última Esperança, Parte 1'''" ("The Last Hope, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le dernier espoir, Partie 1'''" ("The Last Hope, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 8]], 2023
::*The vocal effect applied on Soundwave's voice is different from the one used in other episodes.
::*Breakdown is dubbed by [[Arthur Pestel]] instead of [[Denis Maréchal]], his voice in [[Security Protocols]]. Denis Maréchal will only be back for season 2.

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Végső reményszikra, 1. rész'''" ("Final Spark of Hope, part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 1]], 2023

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Harapan Terakhir, Bagian 1'''" ("The Last Hope, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ostatnia nadzieja, część pierwsza'''" ("Last hope, part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 1]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Hope, Part 1}}
[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

The Battle of Witwicky

2025-08-02T10:37:48Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 24
|image=TheBattleofWitwickyThumbnail.jpg
|caption="Taking the children was a bad move."
|prev=Stowed Away, Stowaways
|next=The Last Hope, Part 1
|title="The Battle of Witwicky"
|season=1
|season ep=24
|airdate=[[July 28]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[April 20]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Mae Catt]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Sebastian Montes]], [[Alex Kwan]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/Y6j_lgoqByw0V0saoDvo55HwhnIjeeKw/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''With Agent Croft now moving against them, the Malto family and their allies gather to make their last stand.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Mandroid]] finds [[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] overseeing cleanup around the still-active [[space bridge]]. He informs her that he's found a cure for his condition and presents her with a new device — one which, as he demonstrates, will give her power over anyone or anything wearing a [[G.H.O.S.T.]] badge. She immediately tries to turn the tables by slapping a badge on Mandroid, but he catches her arm and dangles her in the air, telling her that she should be focusing on the Malto offspring. Making changes to the space bridge settings, he tosses Croft aside and, despite her protests that it's untested, walks through.

Elsewhere, [[Robby Malto|Robby]], [[Twitch]], [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] and [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] are fleeing from [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] through a corn field. Robby observes that the 'Con is wearing a badge like the one Mandroid used to control [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]], shortly before Shockwave shoots down Nightshade and menaces them, but after a brief fight, the Maltos again attempt to get away. Back at the farm, Hashtag is desperately trying to reestablish communications with the others, when [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] points out that the system is tracking them and they're heading into [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]]. The townsfolk flee as Shockwave fires wildly at the Maltos, however one of the townsfolk is an undercover G.H.O.S.T. agent who calls HQ to raise the alarm. G.H.O.S.T. starts mobilizing, with an agent briefing [[Dot Malto]]. The Maltos manage to take Shockwave down once [[Mo Malto|Mo]] slices the cable to his arm cannon, but the celebrating team is quickly surrounded by G.H.O.S.T. agents. One of the agents panics and fires a rocket, which Thrash deflects, resulting it it instead hitting the road in front of Dot's truck, creating a crater that she crashes into. [[Alex Malto|Alex]] arrives and goes to help her, but she instead tells him to go aid the kids. With Alex's help, the Maltos are able to get away bar Dot, who's surrounded by agents.

Back at the farm, Nightshade thinks they can safely remove Mandroid's control tech from Shockwave, though Twitch believes the Decepticon will still turn on them. Hashtag argues that as she knows what it's like to be controlled by Mandroid, and Jawbreaker points out that helping Shockwave is what Dot would have wanted. Thrash laments that maybe the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s have permanently ruined things with their war, but both Alex and Twitch refute that logic. Shockwave reactivates, but he's only interested in getting revenge on Croft — as it turns out, Hashtag discovers that G.H.O.S.T. has placed a communications blackout on Witwicky, so they can't get help in going after the clandestine organization. Shockwave shows her a subspace frequency to use to try to get around the block, but as she's doing that, Croft arrives at the farm with Dot. Alex intercepts them at the door and Croft invites herself into the house, hoping to meet the rest of the family. The two parents try to play along with her, and Alex makes the excuse that the kids are at a friend's place, stepping out to go "pick them up", only to find a troop of [[Ghoid]]s outside the house.

In the Dugout, the kids resolve to fight their way out if necessary. Croft delivers an ultimatum to Dot to turn the Maltobots over to G.H.O.S.T., which Dot doesn't take kindly to and, as the bots crash out of the barn to battle the Ghoids, Dot and Croft start their own fight in the house. The battle outside is going so-so when reinforcements arrive in the form of [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]], [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]], [[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]], [[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] and [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]], who received Hashtag's distress call. Dot kicks Croft out through the front door, and once the agent sees the comprehensive pounding her forces are undergoing outside, she goes to make an escape. A G.H.O.S.T. truck pulls up, only for Optimus to smash it with his axe. The Autobots surround Croft and Optimus demands she stand down, but instead she pulls out the device Mandroid gave her earlier and activates it. To her surprise, it attaches itself to the back of her hand and as the Autobots around her collapse, glowing lines appear over her skin. The Ghoids begin picking themselves up, restraining Shockwave and surrounding the Maltos. Dot tries to reason with Croft to no avail, but to the surprise of everyone present, clouds start gathering overhead. A portal opens in the sky and through it comes a monstrous robotic figure that speaks in the voice of Mandroid...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (16)
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (18)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (19)
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] (20)
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (21)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (8)
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (17)
|c3=
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (1)
*[[Mandroid]] (3)
*[[Robby Malto]] (5)
*[[Mo Malto]] (10)
*Plainclothes G.H.O.S.T. agent (12)
*[[Dot Malto]] (13)
*G.H.O.S.T. agents (14)
*[[Alex Malto]] (15)
|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (4)
*[[Twitch]] (6)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (7)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (9)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (11)
|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Ghoid]]s (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"We never should have been fighting in town like that anyway. If we hadn't, maybe mom—" 
"No, your mother stayed behind so we could be safe. You're learning the world is a complicated place, and what is good or just isn't always easy. But your mother and I, we will always be proud of you for trying."
:—'''Thrash''' gets some encouragement from '''Alex'''.

"Shockwave." 
"Megatron." 
"Clever using the old Decepticon emergency line." 
"I think you mean 'ingenious'."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Shockwave''' are reunited.

"All you Cybertronians do is destroy each other. I'll be lucky if there's anything left of your miserable planet to conquer!"
:—'''Croft''' in full supervillain mode.

"Ahh... home sweet home."
:—'''Mandroid''' in his new, ''way'' creepier body.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This episode picks up right where the previous one left off, with Robby, Twitch, Thrash and Nightshade being menaced by Shockwave.
*The Terrans' opinions on what to do with Shockwave are all shaped by their past experiences. Twitch still assumes Shockwave will attack them as he did back in "[[Warzone]]"; Nightshade thinks Shockwave should be given another chance thanks to their experience with [[Tarantulas (ES)|Tarantulas]] in "[[Missed Connection]]"; and Hashtag can sympathize with being under Mandroid's control, as happened to her in "[[Home, Part 2]]".

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===

===Errors===

===Trivia===

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Batalha de Witwicky'''" ("The Battle of Witwicky")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La bataille de Witwicky'''" ("The Battle of Witwicky")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 7]], 2023

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kereszttűzben'''" ("In a Crossfire")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 30]], 2023

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Pertempuran Witwicky'''" ("The Battle of Witwicky")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Bitwa o Witwicki'''" ("Battle of Witwicky")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 30]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Stowed Away, Stowaways

2025-08-02T10:36:55Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 23
|image=StowedAwayStowaways - SpacebridgeEscape.jpg
|caption="Get the lead out! Bus is leaving!"
|prev=Prime Time (episode)
|next=The Battle of Witwicky
|title="Stowed Away, Stowaways"
|season=1
|season ep=23
|airdate=[[July 28]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[April 20]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Gavin Hignight]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|directors=[[Matthew Humphreys]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/xI45RnwJvvQBBdoBCdKdaFel_LbA_Bgg/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Bumblebee infiltrates G.H.O.S.T. on a secret mission, unaware that the Maltos are following him.'''

==Synopsis==
In the dark of night, [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] meets with [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] at [[Witwicky Donuts]]. Optimus has found a piece of [[Mandroid]] technology in [[G.H.O.S.T.]] HQ and assigns Bumblebee the task of infiltrating a section of the HQ that Optimus doesn't have access to.

At the Malto farm the next morning, the kids are playing a round of "the floor is lava", though [[Robby Malto|Robby]] objects to [[Twitch]] using her alt mode to fly. Bumblebee tells them he can't join the game as he has a mission and, though the kids want to help, Bumblebee prefers to keep them off G.H.O.S.T.'s radar. [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] provides him with a [[mobile hologram emitter]] and the [[Smart Trainer|Smart Trainer 5008]]. As the scout heads off, the kids resolve to help him in his mission anyway. To this end, Twitch tails him using her alt mode, though she struggles to keep up and ends up smashed into the front of a truck at one point.

At HQ, [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] and [[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] argue about how best to pursue [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] until Optimus interrupts them to encourage cooperation. Croft turns down Optimus's query about the areas of the base he can't access.

Twitch tracks Bumblebee to the [[Witwicky Ranger Station]], where he heads into a tunnel hidden behind a huge boulder. Once she reports back to the [[Dugout]] via radio, Robby takes [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] and Nightshade to join her while the others remain back to monitor from the Dugout. While Bumblebee stealthily makes his way through the G.H.O.S.T. base, the Maltos rendezvous at the ranger station and access the secret elevator in the back. [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] remotely activates the lift, allowing Twitch to pose as a pizza-delivery drone and distract the G.H.O.S.T. agent down below so the others can sneak in. Meanwhile Bumblebee finds himself in a corridor laced with laser tripwires and uses the Smart Trainer to deactivate them. Unfortunately this involves smashing the control panel, which also leaves Bumblebee unable to open the door at the other end.

[[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]], conferring on the phone regarding the pizza he supposedly delivered, literally bumps into the Malto quartet as they sneak around the base and though Nightshade immediately restrains him, he's able to trigger the base-wide alarm on his phone. Turrets start pelting the group with fire until they manage to convince Schloder to shut the alert off. Elsewhere Optimus delays Croft from investigating the alert shortly before it goes silent. Schloder's enthusiastic that Bumblebee's around as he's been trying to recruit the scout for G.H.O.S.T. for ages, and he joins the group in attempting to find Bee.

Bumblebee finally opens the door and discovers what G.H.O.S.T.'s been hiding from them — the salvaged [[space bridge|spacebridge]]. Croft finds him inspecting the device and sics a G.H.O.S.T. agent on him. To Bee's surprise the agent displays superhuman abilities and is more than a match for him. Meanwhile Megatron has realized Prime is up to something and insists they take more direct action, but Optimus has confidence whatever Bee uncovers by stealth will help them. During the fight, Bumblebee knocks the agent's helmet off, revealing it to be an artificial construct, and Croft calls in more of these "[[Ghoid]]s" to finish him off. Scholder and the Maltos find the Smart Trainer and hurry their efforts to find Bumblebee. They succeed, finding Croft about to deactivate Bee, and join the fight against the Ghoids. Schloder tries to unsuccessfully to convince his sister to stop, but Croft refuses, believing Cybertronians bring only destruction and having spent years secretly gathering resources to wipe them and [[Cybertron (planet)|their planet]] out. Unable to make her see reason, Schloder activates the spacebridge as an escape route with Bumblebee's help. Though both Bee and Schloder are captured by the Ghoids, Nightshade, Robby, Twitch and Thrash manage to make it through the portal and end up outside. They're just trying to work out where they are when a new figure looms over them — [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (10)
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (15)
|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] (3)
*[[Robby Malto]] (4)
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (11)
*[[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]] (12)
*G.H.O.S.T. Agent (13)
|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (5)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (6)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (7)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (8)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (9)
|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Ghoid]]s (14)
}}

==Quotes==
"Bye, Bumblebee!" 
"...We're totally gonna help Bee, right?" 
"Obviously."
:—'''Mo''' and '''Robby'''

"I was under the impression this was an equal partnership." 
"You are mistaken. Now, if that's all, I have an organization to run."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Agent Croft'''

"Smart Trainer, I need you to travel to the other end of the corridor and evade all those tripwire lasers." 
"It would be a better training exercise if ''you'' were to evade all these lasers." 
"Just get over there and avoid the lasers!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' gets lip from the '''Smart Trainer'''.

"''Deception'', Optimus? Consider me impressed".
:—'''Megatron'''

"Bumblebee! You really are here!" 
"Oh, ''great''."
:—'''Schloder''' and '''Bumblebee'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The Smart Trainer and hologram disguise first appeared during "[[Missed Connection]]".
*Starscream escaped during the events of "[[What Dwells Within]]" and is still at large.
*While not explicitly stated, the Ghoids possess the same six eyes beneath their masks as the [[Arachnamech]]s, implying them to be one of the creations Mandroid developed after being recruited by Croft in "[[Home, Part 2]]".
*Shockwave was previously seen being taken into custody by G.H.O.S.T. in "[[Warzone]]".

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===
*Bumblebee and Optimus Prime evoke the taped briefings from TV show ''{{w|Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible}}'' as Optimus gives Bee his mission.
*The spacebridge is installed in a manner reminiscent of the title device from ''{{w|Stargate (film)|Stargate}}'' and even has a similar activation sequence.
*Bumblebee starts quoting the film ''{{w|Predator (film)|Predator}}'' with the line "Buddy, you are one ugly—" but fortunately for the rating, does not complete the quote.
*After Twitch bumps into the truck, transforms to robot mode, and then flies off, the trucker immediately pours out what he was drinking as a [[tvtropes:Main/NoMoreForMe|classic gag]].

===Errors===

===Trivia===

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Intruso Escondido'''" ("Hidden Intruder")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La mission de Bumblebee'''" ("Bumblebee's Mission")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 1]], 2023

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Potyázó portyázók'''" ("Freeloading Prowlers")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 24]], 2023

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Penumpang Gelap yang Diselundupkan'''" ("Stowed Away Stowaways")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ukryci gapowicze'''" ("Secret stowaways")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 24]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Prime Time (episode)

2025-08-02T10:35:55Z

Silverfoil:

{{Disambig3|Prime Time}}

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 22
|image=ESQuintusPrime PrimeTime.jpg
|caption="You see, Mo, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?"
|prev=What Dwells Within
|next=Stowed Away, Stowaways
|title="Prime Time"
|season=1
|season ep=22
|airdate=[[July 28]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[April 13]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Isabel Galupo]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[J.J. Conway]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/VeLkFu3lAZu2fZS0vqWOGSsvORV3LxM5/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''With Robby's sickness worsening, Mo wishes she had never touched the Emberstone...and her wish is granted.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Mo Malto]] pursues [[Robby Malto|Robby]] as the pair bicycle down a road, pulling to a stop in the middle of a bridge. She tries to talk to her brother but pauses as she sees his [[cyber-sleeve]] and then he turns and silently screams. Mo abruptly wakes up from the nightmare and goes to check on her still-sleeping brother, finding that the infection that has been spreading through his body has progressed. He's later hooked up to a monitoring bed in the [[Dugout]] with the family gathered around, though [[Dot Malto|Dot]] tells them Robby needs rest. While Mo doesn't leave Robby's side, Dot and [[Alex Malto|Alex]] consult with [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] and [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]], the latter of whom believes the [[Emberstone]] might be able to help the boy. As Alex points out, the Emberstone was lost. The two parents reassure the kids that they'll help Robby get better, but Mo, furious as what she sees as an unkeepable promise, yells at them and runs off. [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] gives chase.

Running through the woods, Mo trips on a branch and spots that her cyber-sleeve seems to be faintly activating. Her cries to [[Quintus Prime]] go unanswered and she loudly wishes she'd never touched the Emberstone, only to realize she's been overheard by Thrash, who sadly drives away. [[Mandroid]] is working in his lab when [[Karen Croft|Croft]] arrives with a crate carrying the Emberstone. As he grabs the artifact, elsewhere Mo's cyber-sleeve starts glowing, and as he installs it in equipment attached to his chest, Mo's cyber-sleeve explodes with light and she passes out. Finding herself in the cave with the Emberstone, she thanks Quintus until her hand passes straight through the artifact. All becomes clear when she sees herself and Robby enter the cave in a replay of events from when they originally found the Emberstone, however this time past-Mo doesn't touch it and only Robby receives as cyber-sleeve. Startled, present-Mo falls into the water and finds herself witnessing a later event where she's talking to Thrash. She observes her past self has no cyber-sleeve, and when past-Thrash asks past-Mo to help him find [[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]], past-Mo refuses. Present-Mo then finds herself at the later fight with Swindle, but this time [[G.H.O.S.T.]] turn up and capture both Swindle and Thrash.

Mo again finds herself shifted in time, now reliving the event where the family was taking shelter from Mandroid's [[Arachnamech]]s in the Emberstone cave. Without Thrash's help, [[Twitch]] is quickly overwhelmed by the mechs, and the Emberstone is knocked into the water by a stray blast, preventing [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]], [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] and [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] from being born. As the cave collapses, Mo again falls into the water and finds herself watching the simulation of Megatron fighting the powered-up Robby. Megatron is able to overcome Robby, shattering the crystal in his cyber-sleeve and, without a cyber-sleeve, past-Mo is unable to bring Robby back to life. As present-Mo pleads for Quintus to stop, the illusion fades to show an abstract green location. The real Dot and Alex arrive with Robby, non-the-wiser as to where they are or what's happening. Mo tells them what she's been experiencing, and Robby weakly reassures her she was always there for her family in reality. Then everything shatters, dumping the family onto the bridge of a starship which Alex recognizes as Quintus Prime's. Mo again makes an appeal to the Prime, leading to a figure appearing in a blaze of light, however rather than the anticipated Quintus, it's instead Mandroid.

Alex immediately recognizes his old university colleague, Dr. Meridian. Dot observes that the ship is on a crash course for Earth, and Mandroid, eager to end the Maltos, uses his new Emberstone-derived power to speed the ship up. While the two parents attempt to steer the ship, Mo confronts Mandroid and to his surprise, blocks his first blow with her cyber-sleeve. Quintus's power leaps from the Emberstone, empowering the sleeve and allowing her to manifest an energon sword which she uses to fight him. He's eventually able to get the upper hand, shattering the sword, at which point Robby attempts to defend his sister, only for Mandroid to fire a blaster at him and time abruptly stops. Mo walks up to Mandroid and, announcing that he's not worthy, levers the Emberstone from his chest with her reconstituted sword.

The Maltos find themselves back in the abstract landscape with Quintus himself towering over them. Quintus thanks Mo for answering his call and warns her of the trials yet to come. Once Mo puts her hand on Robby's cyber-sleeve, it again glows with power, and the family finally wake up to find themselves in the Dugout with the Terrans waiting anxiously for them to recover. Robby is again in full health, and Mo apologizes for wishing she hadn't touched the Emberstone.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in dream sequences.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (10)
|c2=
*''[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]]'' (14)
|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (1)
*[[Mo Malto]] (2)
*[[Alex Malto]] (3)
*[[Dot Malto]] (11)
*[[Mandroid]] (12)
*[[Karen Croft]] (13)
|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (4)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (6)
*[[Twitch]] (7)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (8)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (9)
|h5=Others||c5=
* ''[[Arachnamech]]'' (15)
* [[Quintus Prime]] (16)
* [[Fluffy Ears]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Maybe he ''is'' listening. Mr Quintus Prime? It's me, Morgan Violet Malto. Please, I saw what it was like if I never touched the Emberstone. I'm sorry. Please forgive me and help my family."
:—'''Mo''' makes an appeal to a Prime.

"Prime power isn't something you can steal. It's given, and it's always with you, but you have to be worthy. And you are ''not'' worthy."
:—'''Mo''' confiscates the Emberstone from Mandroid.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* This episode features several altered flashbacks to events from earlier episodes, including "[[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]", "[[House Rules]]", "[[Age of Evolution, Part 1]]", and "[[Disarmed]]".
* The Emberstone was last seen in "[[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]", during which it fell into the water before the cave collapsed. It's not clear how Mandroid or G.H.O.S.T. determined its location, but considering he had several Arachnamechs there at the time, Mandroid may have been able to retrieve its location from their databanks.
* This episode finally explains the connection between Alex and Mandroid, which was previously teased in "[[Traditions]]", "[[Age of Evolution, Part 1]]" and "[[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]". Despite being set up as something meaningful, there's no actual payoff to the subplot; the pair just acknowledge each other, and the story moves on.
* Quintus Prime, whose disembodied voice was previously heard in "Secret Legacy, Part 1" and "Age of Evolution, Part 1", makes his first physical appearance.

===Transformers references===
* The symbol of Quintus Prime can be seen on the wall of his ship, which allowed Alex to quickly identify who owns it.

===Real-world references===
* A picture of a young [[Dwayne Johnson]] can be seen in Mo's room.

===Errors===

===Trivia===
===Foreign localization===
'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Erő legyen velünk!'''" ("May the Power be with Us")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 23]], 2023
::* The title is a nod to the famous ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' quote "May the Force be with you."
::* Swindle is dubbed by Bumblebee's voice actor [[Péter Szokol]] rather than his standard voice actor [[Zoltán Renácz]].

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'heure du Prime'''" ("Prime Time")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 30]], 2023

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tempo Primordial'''" ("Primordial Time")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Czas Prime'a'''" ("Prime's Time")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 23]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

What Dwells Within

2025-08-02T10:35:18Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 21
|image=Hashtag and Starsccream WhatDwellsWithin.jpg
|caption=
|prev=Disarmed
|next=Prime Time (episode)
|title="What Dwells Within"
|season=1
|season ep=21
|airdate=[[July 28]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[April 13]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Mae Catt]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Sebastian Montes]], [[Alex Kwan]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/9uwYjNarnO5kAO06_2sPkkKiLceBB1mH/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''When the Maltos are trapped underground with a dangerous creature, they must team up with Starscream and the Seekers to escape.'''

==Synopsis==
An explosion rocks the [[G.H.O.S.T.]] base as the captive Decepticons break out. Forcefields successfully prevent [[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] and [[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] from escaping but [[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]], [[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] and [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] successfully make it to a cave system. Starscream blasts the tunnel behind them, preventing G.H.O.S.T. from following them but also waking something deep below.

The Malto kids walk through the wilderness in search of the cave in which the Terrans were born, believing the water may reactivate [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]]'s dormant [[cyber-sleeve]]s. Witnessing [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] arguing, [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] flashes back to her time under [[Mandroid]]'s mind control. They successfully find the cave, but hear a strange thumping noise shortly before the water in the cave swiftly drains away. The kids barely have time to react before they also sink through the sodden ground.

In the cave system, Skywarp admonishes Nova Storm for risking a cave in with her sonic booms. Nova Storm is still scoffing at this when the ceiling collapses and the Malto kids land on her. They still picking themselves up when Starscream arrives. Though the Cons want to take the group as hostages, Twitch blasts them with her EMP, temporarily freezing them and allowing the Maltos to make a run for it. The doors open for them in the ancient technological caves as they race through. Another door remains closed and as the Cons catch up with them, [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] forces it open, allowing Robby and Mo to run through only to find themselves confronted by a giant eye. A mechanical beast emerges and, grabbing Thrash, throws the Terran into its huge maw... only to vomit him out moments later and turn its attention to the three Decepticons. Their defensive fire doesn't impress it and it seizes Nova Storm, beginning to drain the [[energon]] from the Seeker. While Skywarp tries to free Nova Storm, the Terrans move in to attack the creature and together they're able to release Nova Storm from its grip. The group flees while the creature regrows its tentacles, and are able to make it through a door that slams shut before it can catch up with them.

Meanwhile [[Karen Croft|Croft]] informs [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] of the escape. Megatron is unhappy that Croft refuses to send anyone into the unmapped tunnel system after Starscream, and is even less impressed with her veiled threat at his insubordination. Despite her instructions, Optimus and Megatron head to the edge of the cave system where Megatron starts blasting his way in.

Below, the Seekers identify the creature as a [[Dweller (ES)|Dweller]]. Nova Storm and Skywarp complain that Starscream left them to the Dweller, but he rejects Twitch's suggestion that the pair should go back to Megatron's command. Unfortunately the Dweller again catches up with them and they flee once more, Starscream splitting up to go off in his own direction. As the door closes behind the rest of the group, Hashtag realizes the Dweller is pursuing Starscream and darts through the closing door. The Dweller catches up with Starscream, so Hashtag uses her abilities to cause the door to shut on it, forcing it to release him. The pair stumble on what appears to be a control hub. Starscream believes they've found a way out but Hashtag refuses to abandon her siblings, instead trying to get the Seeker to open up about his time under Megatron's command. They spot a signal approaching the hub and, believing it's the Dweller, Starscream prepares to fight. Luckily it's just the rest of the Maltos with Nova Storm and Skywarp. Observing that the Dweller looks like it's heading to the surface, the kids realize they have to stop it, and with some persuasion from Starscream, the other two Seekers agree to help.

Split into groups, the team attempts to lead the Dweller through the caves. This hits complications when Thrash proves unable to close a door, and Nova Storm is dragged off by the beast. Hearing this, Skywarp panics and start teleporting through the tunnels until she hits a sealed door and has to again escape the Dweller. Robby meanwhile spots a signal heading for Starscream and Hashtag, but it turns out to be Megatron. Hashtag throws herself between Megatron and Starscream as they fight, and though Megatron doesn't believe her story of a Dweller, moments later he has to fight the beast off himself. Hashtag and Starscream are carried off by the Dweller. When they reach the creature's nest, Starscream makes an attempt to sacrificing himself so Hashtag can escape, before causing a cave in that sends the three plummeting downwards. Hashtag lands in a pool of water, giving her the strength to drag the Dweller off Starscream and into the liquid, which has a deleterious affect on the beast. In the aftermath, the Maltos gather in the water and attempt to use it to restore the cyber-sleeves to no effect.

Back outside, Starscream refuses the offer of safety from Megatron, instead warping away with Skywarp and Nova Storm. Robby confides in Mo what he was hoping would be fixed along with his cyber-sleeve: some sort of infection is spreading through his body.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in dream sequences.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (15)
|c2=
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] (1)
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (2)
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] (3)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (4)
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] (5)
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (16)
|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (11)
*[[Mo Malto]] (12)
*''[[Mandroid]]'' (14)
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (17)
|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (7)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (8)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (9)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (10)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (13)
|h5=Others||c5=
* [[Dweller (ES)|Dweller]] (6)
}}

==Quotes==
"Yeah, you should go back to following Megatron. He wouldn't leave anyone behind like that." 
"Oh ''naïve'' child. Is locking Decepticons in prison while he walks free not "leaving us behind"? You don't know the real Megatron, the ruthless tyrant who ruled over us with fear and intimidation." 
:—'''Twitch''' gets an alternate view of Megatron via '''Starscream'''.

"I know you have a ''complicated'' history with Starscream. Just promise me you'll return him without excessive force." 
:—'''Optimus''' asks Megatron not to fall back into old habits.

"You have to, or else I—" 
"Is this how Megatron treated you?!" 
"You ''believe'' me?" 
:—'''Starscream''' finds a sympathetic ear in '''Hashtag'''.

"I won't let you put me back in a cage!" 
"What if you could go somewhere safe?" 
"Nowhere is safe if it's with ''you.''" 
:—'''Starscream''' stands up to '''Megatron''' one last time before leaving.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* While not explicitly stated, the Decepticons' getaway seems to have been the result of [[Mandroid]] knocking out G.H.O.S.T.'s systems in the [[Disarmed|previous episode]].
* Of the initial Decepticon escapees; Starscream and Soundwave were last seen in "[[Hashtag: Oops]]", Skywarp in "[[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]", Nova Storm in "[[Home, Part 1]]", and Swindle in the previous episode "Disarmed".
* Swindle refers to an "original plan" for the Decepticons' escape, and that they were "waiting for" someone or something to execute it. There's no further indication of what this is or was going to be, and it kinda reeks of a dropped plot point. ''Presumably,'' it refers to whatever Soundwave was planning when he purposefully allowed himself to be arrested in order to infiltrate the prison back in "[[Decoy (episode)|Decoy]]," since that plot also never went anywhere; a deleted scene from "[[Warzone]]" would have seen Soundwave sending Ravage to recover a remote from elsewhere in the GHOST base that the Decepticons used to release [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]], but that really doesn't feel like the full, originally-intended story.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwlQSymGLHM Transformers EarthSpark Ep 16 deleted scenes: Prison Blues] on YouTube</ref>
* The mysterious cave the Maltos were looking for at the start of the episode was last seen in "[[Friends and Family]]".
* Hashtag briefly flashes back to, and recalls to Starscream, her time under Mandroid's control in "[[Home, Part 2]]".
* Upon encountering the Maltos, Skywarp and Nova Storm recall their last encounter with them in "[[Age of Evolution, Part 1]]".
* When attacking, the Dweller seems to primarily target the Seekers and Megatron. Given [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]]'s statement in "Friends and Family" that Twitch and Thrash have almost non-existent energon levels, the Dweller appears to mostly ignore the Terrans to go after those with more energon to consume.

===Transformers references===
* The Dweller introduced here is a new incarnation of the [[Dweller (G1)|creature]] from the G1 episode "[[The Dweller in the Depths]]". Much like the original, this one is an ancient monster that feeds off energy from Cybertronians.
* Nova Storm is implied to have the ability to generate sonic booms at will, an ability shared with the original [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], the only member of the original Seeker trio missing from this show so far.

===Real-world references===
* Jawbreaker's skidding to a stop as the door closes is referenced directly from a similar animation in the show ''{{w|Dragon Booster}}''; both were animated by [[Dustin McKenzie]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=A fun little #ThrowbackThursday! Another self reference I did in ep21 of Transformers: EarthSpark. -EarthSpark shot animated by Maylis Imperiali -Dragon Booster "stopping animation" by me (This was my first ever professional animation, a reusable stop for the bipedal dragons)|link=https://twitter.com/duecenage/status/1689707794159824896|name=Dustin McKenzie|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=08|day=10}}</ref>

===Errors===
* When Megatron catches Starscream in the tunnels, he is wearing a Decepticon insignia instead of his G.H.O.S.T. badge in two shots.

===Trivia===
* We learn in this episode some of the limits of Skywarp's teleportation abilities; she can't teleport through solid objects.

===Foreign localization===
'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Mélyen lenn'''" ("Deep Below")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 17]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La menace souterraine'''" ("The Underground Menace")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 24]], 2023
::*In the dubbing credits, [[Laëtitia Godès]] and [[Isabelle Rougerie]] are switched for their roles as Skywarp and Nova Storm.

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Que Habita lá Dentro'''" ("What Dwells Within")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Mieszkaniec podziemi'''" ("Underground occupant")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 17]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Disarmed

2025-08-02T10:34:14Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 20
|image=DisarmedThumbnail.jpg
|caption=''Gentlemen... BEHOLD! The Matrix of Leadership!''
|prev=A Stygi Situation
|next=What Dwells Within
|title="Disarmed"
|season=1
|season ep=20
|airdate=[[July 28]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[April 6]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Maasai Singleton]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Matthew Humphreys]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/L_6JViEB4NriVUXCdYdjngeHJXzF4oU5/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Robby's attempt to learn more about his cyber-sleeve attracts the attention of Mandroid, who wants the technology for himself.'''
==Synopsis==
In the [[G.H.O.S.T.]] base deep under [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]], [[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] marks off another day of captivity. Meanwhile, [[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] explores the nearby tunnels looking for a way to break his brother out. At the [[Witwicky Ranger Station]], [[Dot Malto]] puzzles to [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] over the energon readings she's been getting. As they observe the signal getting closer, a nearby boulder is pushed aside and Swindle emerges from the ground. The Decepticon makes a run for it when he spies Optimus and Dot, who give chase. Swindle takes the opportunity to fire on Dot during the pursuit, reasoning that Optimus will be forced to protect her, and one of his shots hits the back of Dot's truck where [[Robby Malto|Robby]] is riding. Robby, however, is unharmed due to an energy shield produced by his [[cyber-sleeve]]. Swindle makes a desperate attempt to attack Prime, only to have a [[restraining bolt]] slapped on him. While Dot is upset Robby put himself in harm's way, Robby's enthused by the new "cybershield" ability he's gained, which Optimus believes is a product of the power of [[Quintus Prime]].

Optimus takes the Maltos to [[G.H.O.S.T.]] HQ where [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] scans Robby and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] using [[Teletraan-1 (ES)|Teletraan-1]]. The sleeves turn out to be ancient Cybertronian technology which Optimus likens to the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Retelling the story of how he was once Orion Pax until he had the Matrix bestowed on him, Optimus wonders what the future holds for the two kids.

Meanwhile, [[Karen Croft|Croft]] finds [[Mandroid]] in a sorry state in his lab. Mandroid insists he needs to tend to his deteriorating condition before he can provide G.H.O.S.T. with any new technology, so she gives him access to G.H.O.S.T.'s systems. He's able to use the systems to access the Autobot database and spy on the discussion Optimus is having, leading him to learn about the cyber-sleeves and the [[Emberstone]] that granted them to the kids. Though Dot has misgivings about the kids endangering themselves, Optimus believes his guidance will help them master their powers. Mandroid reasons that studying the cyber-sleeves will allow him to heal himself and begins plotting.

In the recroom, the Terrans and Robby spar with simulated [[Arachnamech]]s. Watching remotely, Mandroid triggers interference in Wheeljack's systems to have Optimus called away. Robby has [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] turn up the difficulty on the recroom, at which point Mandroid invades the control system and starts making his own changes. The simulation switches to the [[space bridge]] battleground and a simulated [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] appears in front of the kids. They manage to evade him, but Robby realizes that the only way to shut down the simulation is to get Hashtag to the distant physical console. Elsewhere Optimus finds Croft has beaten him to the glitch Wheeljack reported, and she insists she's handling it. While Hashtag races for the console, the rest of the kids keep Megatron distracted, until Mandroid juices up the simulated Megatron who is able to knock everyone flying. Hashtag fights to shut down the simulation as Megatron batters at Robby's cybershield, and Robby's appeal to Quintus Prime results in the cyber-sleeve giving him a towering energon form. Robby's initially able to use his new form to fight back against Megatron until the sim Decepticon gets the upper hand. Fortunately at this point Hashtag regains control of the simulation, and Robby is able to deck Megatron, sending a surge of green energy through the systems. Alerted, Wheeljack and Dot break into the now-inactive recroom to find Robby lying limp on the floor. As Dot holds him, Mo takes his hand and her own cyber-sleeve glows, bringing Robby back to life. Though Robby's alive again, the Terrans realize that they can no long feel each other's emotions as the emotional link has been severed.

Croft finds Mandroid in his lab and chews him out for the damage to G.H.O.S.T.'s systems. Mandroid, however, reveals he's learned the key to accomplishing their plans and asks her to bring him the Emberstone.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in Flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|h4=[[Autobots]]s||c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (12)
|h4=[[Decepticons]]s||c2=
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (1)
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] (2)
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (16)
|h4=[[Humans]]s||c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] (4)
*[[Robby Malto]] (5)
*[[Dot Malto]] (6)
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (14)
*[[Mandroid]] (15)
|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (7)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (8)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (9)
*[[Twitch]] (10)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (11)
|h5=Others||c5=
*''[[Quintus Prime]]'' (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"Look at me, you are my heart walking outside my chest. I need you to stay safe."
:—'''Dot''' impresses on Robby how much she does not want him fighting Decepticons.

''(blares horn)'' "Don't act like I'm not here! ... Rude."
:—'''Swindle''' ruins a perfectly good moment.

"In my darkest hour, Quintus give me power!"
:—'''Robby''' calls on Quintus Prime.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Hashtag's time under Mandroid's control in "[[Home, Part 2]]" is recalled when she finds herself forced out of G.H.O.S.T.'s systems, courtesy of Mandroid, when she tries to shut down the simulation.

===Transformers references===
[[File:Disarmed-TheThirteen.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]
* As is the norm at this point, Optimus Prime began as the humble Orion Pax, although his past as a manual labourer specifically evokes his backstory in the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]". The idea that Orion received the Matrix from a Prime—specifically, what appears to be a version of Alpha Trion—has its roots in the episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]", which established that Trion had safeguarded the Matrix for eons, waiting for a 'bot worthy of carrying the artifact; this plot beat also made its way into the "[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]]" continuity and the ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' cartoon.
* Optimus Prime's brief flashback features our first look at the [[Thirteen]] original Transformers of this universe. As evidenced by the apparent lack of [[Micronus Prime]], the Primes either don't match up to the traditional roster introduced in ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'', or else they've been drastically redesigned. However, each member of the Thirteen is shown holding one object or weapon, many of which correspond to a pre-existing [[Artifacts of the Primes|artifact]]. Recognizable artifacts include what might be the [[Forge of Solus Prime]], [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'s [[Requiem Blaster (Megatronus)|Requiem Blaster]], the [[Matrix of Leadership]], held by what appears to be a version of [[Alpha Trion]], the [[Enigma of Combination]], the [[Triptych Mask]], what may be [[Amalgamous Prime]] holding the [[Transformation cog|Transformation Cog]] as it appeared in ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|#34]], and the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]]. The other artifacts and their bearers are too abstract to draw any concrete connections, although the two 'bots on the far right are ''probably'' meant to be incarnations of [[Liege Maximo]] and [[Vector Prime]].
* The virtual Megatron simulation sports a retractable purple [[Energon mace]], as Megatron originally did in the G1 episode "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]". We'll see in later episodes the actual Megatron does also have this weapon.

===Real-world references===

===Errors===
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] and [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] mispronounce Teletraan I as "Tele'''TRON''' One", an error first seen in the franchise in ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' and later repeated (solely by [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]]) in ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''. This is later corrected when [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus]] and [[Karen Croft|Agent Croft]] pronounce it "Tele'''TRAN''' One" in "[[Stowed Away, Stowaways]]".

===Trivia===

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Entwaffnet'''" ("Disarmed")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hatástalanítás'''" ("Disarmament")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 16]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Désarmé'''" ("Disarmed")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 23]], 2023
::*For the first time in the franchise, the dub choses to use the name ''Matrice de création'' ("Matrix of Creation") instead of ''Matrice du commandement'' ("Matrix of Leadership").
::*Also for the first time, the names ''Teletraan I'' and ''Orion Pax'' are pronounced the English way, keeping the "one" in English and not pronouncing the "an" and "on" sounds the French way.

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Desarmado'''" ("Disarmed")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rozbrojony'''" ("Disarmed")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 16]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Judgment Day, Part 2

2025-08-02T10:32:58Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 44
|image=JudgementDayPt2-TerratronusVSQuintessons.jpg|
|caption=You would never break the chain (never break the chain)
|prev=Judgment Day, Part 1
|next=
|title="Judgment Day, Part 2"
|season=3
|season ep=8
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) TBA, [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Sheldon Vella]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/sGi2dXMWngwWsz1v8GxMN27TcbTNcduq/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''The twin threats of the Quintessons and a storm of chaos energy hang over Witwicky.'''

==Synopsis==
Cornered, [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] don their helmets and take out the advancing [[Quintesson Executioner (ES)|Quintesson Executioner]]s. Mo rips the crest off one of the fallen Quintesson before the pair go in search of [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]].

On the ground, [[Dot Malto|Dot]] keeps an eye out for the kids while [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] and [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] complete their work modifying [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]]'s trailer to absorb the energy of the Chaos storm. [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] is raring to go, having been repaired from his previous mishap, but Optimus instead assigns [[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]] and [[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] the task of taking the trailer into the storm. The pair take off, but as they prepare to release the trailer, the strong winds overcome Prowl's ability to remain attached. In the process of trying to reattach himself, Prowl is struck by the Cyber Slayer and plummets downwards, but fortunately he's caught by Megatron who has disregarded Prime's orders and stepped in. Nightshade joins Cosmos and is able to steady the trailer. They drop it into the storm which is rapidly sucked into the trailer, restoring clear skies and almost crushing Megatron and Prowl as it crashes to the ground. As everyone assembles around it, the trailer pops open and [[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] and [[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]]. restored to life, jump out. Megatron uses the [[Cyber Slayer]] to repair Prowl. The two Chaos Terrans are tempted to just leave at this point, but the others persuade them to stay.

Distracting the guards with some music played on Mo's phone, the two kids release Twitch and Thrash from their holding cell. Meanwhile word of the escape reaches the [[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]] who immediately disintegrates the messenger before issuing a ship-wide alert. The kids, hearing copious alarms, cyber-sync and leave the ship with Quintesson pods in pursuit. As their horrified parents watch, they're shot down and unsync as they hit the ground. Twitch is the most seriously hurt, but the others arrive and she's taken aboard Megatron so that Wheeljack can start repairs.

While Mo and Nightshade head for Terratronus, the Quintesson pods touch down and a number of executioners emerge to face the Autobots. Aftermath soon finds to his glee that the large amount of chaos energy he absorbed has turbocharged his weapons. Mo and Nightshade fly to [[Terratronus]]'s spark chamber, where Mo uses the [[Spark Regenerator Key]] to bring the Titan back to life. Terratronus once more stands on the battlefield and the Quintesson Judge unleashes the firepower of the Quintesson ship on her, which she simply takes out using a massive beam of energy. The Quintesson ship has a massive cannon of its own however, which hits Terratronus in the head, shattering her helmet. Robby and Mo rapidly come up with a plan. Robby syncs with Thrash and Spitfire so the trio can keep the Quintessons busy. Meanwhile Mo, Nightshade, Jawbreaker, Hashtag and Aftermath head to Terratronus. Robby causes a distraction with the Judge, resulting in the ship turning away from the Titan long enough for Mo and the Terrans to cyber-sync with her.

Robby, Thrash and Spitfire do their best to evade the Quintesson firepower, but are finally hit by a missile. Robby uses his cyber-sleeve shield to block the massive beam of energy that fires from the Quintesson ship until the ship suddenly lurches, pulled back by a giant tow-line made of energy. Terratronus, synced with the kids, manifests armor and a sword, the latter of which she uses to bifurcate the Quintesson ship as well as its commander. The ship explodes and the remaining Quintesson Executioners retreat.

Everyone de-cyber-syncs for the reunion on the ground. Optimus thanks Terratronus for her help, while the two Chaos Terrans opt to leave before there's any danger they might be hugged. Megatron arrives back with the now-repaired Twitch and the group assembles on Terratronus's shoulder to watch the stars.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (9)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (12)
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] (13)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (14)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (16)
*[[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]] (17)
*[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] (18)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (1)
*[[Mo Malto]] (2)
*[[Dot Malto]] (4)
*[[Alex Malto]] (5)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (6)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (7)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (8)
*[[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] (10)
*[[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] (11)
*[[Terratronus]] (19)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (20)
*[[Twitch]] (21)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Quintesson Executioner (ES)|Quintesson Executioners]] (3)
*[[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]] (22)
}}

==Quotes==
"We need to climb above the storm and drop the trailer inside of it." 
"Thanks, Captain Obvious! I was at the same briefing, you know?" 
"Right, then prepare for phase two." 
"Which phase was that again?"
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Cosmos'''

"Now let's finish the experiment!" 
"Experiment? You don't know if this will work?" 
"Isn't science fun?"
:—'''Nightshade''' and '''Cosmos'''

"You didn't say it would feel this weird." 
"Easy, the sync depends on trust." 
"Seriously? That's my Achilles' heel!"
:—'''Spitfire''' isn't fond of syncing with Robby and '''Thrash'''

"Your students truly have become the masters." 
"Spend enough time with me, and my greatness may rub off on you too."
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Bumblebee'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*If you're keeping track, the Quintesson Executioner from "[[In Ruins]]" is the one who is relieved of his crest by Mo and subsequently meets his end when he reports to the Judge.
*Mo nabbed the Spark Regenerator Key back in "[[No Soldier Left Behind]]". Hopefully you remember it from that episode as no explanation is given for it in this one.
*Spitfire and Aftermath previously met their end in "[[Witwicky, Part 2]]", during which [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] relieved them of their [[Emberstone]] shards so he could restore the artifact.

===Transformers references===
*

===Real-world references===
*

===Errors===
*

===Trivia===
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]], seen in the previous episode fighting alongside the Autobots, is completely absent from this episode. Maybe he was put in timeout for endangering that one guy during the evacuation of Witwicky.
*For the final shot of the assembled group on Terratronus's shoulder, Arcee, Wheeljack and Cosmos are all mysteriously absent.
*[[Vanessa Marshall]] joins the cast of EarthSpark in this episode but so far as of this episode she is only listed as additional voices, time will tell if she will have a more substantial role.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dia do Julgamento, Parte 2'''" ("Judgment Day, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' October 25, 2024

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Jugement Dernier, Partie 2'''" ("Judgement Day, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 1]], 2025

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Jüngste Tag, Teil 2'''" ("Judgement Day, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 22]], 2024

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hari Penghakiman, Bagian 2'''" ("Judgement Day, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 12]], 2025

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dzień sądu, część druga'''" ("Judgment day, part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 1]], 2025

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Judgment Day, Part 1

2025-08-02T10:32:20Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 43
|image=JudgementDayPt1-Quintessonjudge.jpg
|caption="What if you could change your mind, Judge?" "...I think we're gonna have to kill this guy, Mo."
|prev= The Truth Is Out There
|next= Judgment Day, Part 2
|title="Judgment Day, Part 1"
|season=3
|season ep=7
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Vinton Heuck|Vinton T. Heuck]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/sGi2dXMWngwWsz1v8GxMN27TcbTNcduq/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''An ancient evil arrives to lay claim to Quintus Prime's power.
'''

==Synopsis==
[[Robby Malto]] is still moping over the fact [[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] turned out to be a Quintesson shapeshifter. [[Mo Malto|Mo]] tries to talk to him, continuing to hang out on the roof and chat when he tries to shrug her off. She's finally managing to get through to him when a Quintesson ship appears in the sky above the farm and moves to hover over the [[Chaos Dome]].

[[Autobot]]s, [[human]]s and [[Terran]]s are soon assembled at the edge of the dome. A [[hologram]] of the [[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]] appears in front of them and offers to unite with Robby and Mo to restore [[Quintus Prime]]'s power and "usher forth a new era of harmony for all." Robby, burnt by the Quintesson shapeshifter, is not keen on accepting the offer, and when [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] questions why they should even trust the Quintessons, the Judge uses the cruiser's firepower to shatter the dome. Mo realizes she and Robby have no choice but to head up to the Quintesson ship while the others handle the unleashed chaos energies, and volunteers [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] to come with them. The kids cyber-sync and fly off, while at Dot's request, [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] provides backup for them with [[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] and [[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]]. The ship opens fire as they approach, not targeting the kids but just the backup, successfully shooting Megatron out of the sky and forcing Prowl and Cosmos to turn back while the kids continue on.

The Autobots meanwhile deal with the effects of the chaos tornado unleashed by the shattering of the dome, protecting [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]] citizens from flying vehicles and debris while the town is evacuated. [[Dot Malto|Dot]] eventually reports from the bridge out of town that everyone is safe. [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] has spent the time coming up with an idea to contain the chaos energy.

Robby, Mo, Twitch and Thrash reach the Quintesson ship, where Thrash complains about the random fish he's found — Robby turns out to be carrying the sardines from the funnel cake he shared with Izzy, much to the disgust of the others. Twitch has him hand them over and shreds them in her rotors. They're confronted by [[Quintesson Executioner (ES)|Quintesson Executioner]]s who seize Twitch and Thrash and take the pair away. The lead executioner announces Robby and Mo will be taken to the Pit of Judgement.

Nightshade works on modifying Optimus's trailer and outlines the plan: they'll use the [[Cyber Slayer]] to collect the chaos energy and channel it into [[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] and [[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]], which should theoretically revive the two Chaos Terrans and also get rid of the storm. To this end, Optimus is leading a group to [[Terratronus]] to collect the Cyber Slayer and the Chaos Terrans.

The Executioner shows Robby and Mo into the chamber holding the Pit of Judgement where the Judge expresses an interest in their [[cyber-sleeve]]s, threatening to drop them in the pit full of [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s unless they turn the devices over. Mo almost falls in when Robby can't maintain his grip on her wrist, but he manages to pull her back up with the help of a rope from his cyber-sleeve. The two kids reject the Judge's ultimatum and prepare to fight, only for the Judge to drop them into the pit.

Optimus's team reaches Terratronus's spark chamber, where they find [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] holding a tea party with the corpses of the two Chaos Terrans. [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]], who's had enough of Prowl's comments disparaging the Terrans, scolds his fellow Autobot. Starscream attempts to bargain for his freedom until [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] deactivates him from behind with the Cyber Slayer. While Prowl drags Starscream off to the brig in the Autobot base, the others start gathering up the Chaos Terrans.

Robby and Mo attempt to fend off the Sharkticons underwater, until finally the Sharkticons start swimming in circles, resulting in a vortex that drags the pair to the bottom of the pit. Reasoning that there must be some incredible technology down there, Mo digs through the layer of scrap and pulls out a massive cannon that clears the entire pit when she fires it. She turns the weapon on the Judge and Executioners, but it appears to be spent, so the pair instead have to flee. Unfortunately as the Executioners hunt them through the ship, they hit a dead end, and the Quintessons move in...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (7)
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] (13)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (15)
*[[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]] (17)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (18)
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (19)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (16)
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] (23)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (2)
*[[Mo Malto]] (3)
*[[Dot Malto]] (10)
*[[Alex Malto]] (11)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Terratronus]] (1)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (6)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (8)
*[[Twitch]] (9)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (12)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (14)
*[[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] (24)
*[[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] (25)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]] (20)
*[[Quintesson Executioner (ES)|Quintesson Executioners]] (21)
*[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s (22)
}}

==Quotes==
"Worst case scenario is the top, and peachy keen is the bottom. Stop me when I get to where we are right now." 
''[Megatron moves his arm way up]'' 
"Oh." 
"Yeah."
:—'''Cosmos''' and '''Megatron'''

"Phew, what do they feed you up here?" 
"Bots and rude kids."
:—'''Mo''' and the '''Quintesson Executioner'''

"All the bad stuff aside, how cool is it that we're on a real alien spaceship?" 
"Sometimes I wonder if we're even related."
:—'''Mo''' and '''Robby'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This is the first time Wheeljack has had any spoken dialogue since his apparent death back in "[[The Imposters]]", after making a silent cameo in "[[Witwicky, Part 2]]".
*Cosmos returns for the first time since "[[The Butterfly Effect]]". Dialog in several previous episodes has established that he's been tracking ships coming and going from Earth.
*The lead Quintesson Executioner is the same one Mo fought with in "[[In Ruins]]" — though this goes unspecified in dialogue, it has a damaged left arm following the final fight in that episode.
*The Sharkticons seen in this episode are very different looking from [[Blitzwave]] and [[Razor-Fin]] who were previously introduced in "[[The Last Hope, Part 1]]" and look more like their [[Sharkticon#Generation_1_continuity_family|Generation One]] selves.

===Transformers references===
*Various aspects of the Quintessons and their technology originate from their original appearance in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
**The Quintesson Judge is a redesign of the original [[Quintesson Judge (G1)|Quintesson Judge]].
**The Quintesson ship shares design aspects with the [[Quintesson Cruiser]] such as the oddly-angled disc sections.
**The original Quintessons also dropped their prisoners into a pit filled with liquid and Sharkticons, which at one point became a whirlpool.

===Real-world references===
*
===Errors===
* Just as Robby, Mo, Twitch, and Thrash fly towards the Quintesson Judge’s ship, Hashtag is briefly seen in her previous design where she turned into a [[G.H.O.S.T.]] van, which was changed after getting a new alt-mode in “[[Control Alt Delete]]”.

===Trivia===
*This is the first episode to feature every Autobot in the present day in EarthSpark altogether.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dia do Julgamento, Parte 1'''" ("Judgment Day, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 25]], 2024

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Jugement Dernier, Partie 1'''" ("Judgement Day, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 1]], 2025

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Jüngste Tag, Teil 1'''" ("Judgement Day, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 21]], 2024

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hari Penghakiman, Bagian 1'''" ("Judgement Day, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 11]], 2025

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dzień sądu, część pierwsza'''" ("Judgment day part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 1]], 2025

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

The Truth Is Out There

2025-08-02T10:31:30Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 42
|image=TheTruthIsOutThere - ShapeshifterFight.jpg
|caption="Now, intelligent beings. Let's be smart and bring it off."
|prev=Fire and Ice
|next=Judgment Day, Part 1
|title="The Truth Is Out There"
|season=3
|season ep=6
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Ian Busch]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Scooter Tidwell]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/w0SomKRRUqNY3WizlZ6PUa7etRXNCox4/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Prowl, Thrash, and Robby use their detective skills to find who unleashed the hate plague.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] and [[Robby Malto|Robby]] play paper football. Izzy asks about how the Autobots are doing following their recent experience with [[Hate Plague]] and comes out triumphant from the paper football game, but their subsequent almost-kiss is interrupted by [[Twitch]] who's fetching Robby for an Autobot meeting. Izzy is understanding and kisses Robby on the cheek as she leaves, leading to the emotional leakage to reach the rest of the Maltos currently on the road to Autobot base.

[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] believes the Hate Plague was inflicted on them intentionally by parties unknown. [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] bugs Robby for details about his kiss from Izzy, disrupting the meeting for a few moments as Robby has to assert Izzy isn't his girlfriend. [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] has determined that Terrans and humans aren't affected by the plague, but can be carriers, so [[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] has launched an investigation into how and when [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] was first infected and enlists Thrash as a deputy. The first thing Bumblebee recalls is having a fight with Megatron, which took place in the base's parking area. Though suspicion falls on Megatron for a moment, leading to tension between him and Prowl, he points out that Bumblebee was the one who angrily started that fight and so was clearly already infected.

The team takes to the streets of [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]], which Bumblebee recalls driving along. He recognizes a small green car with tinted windows as one that followed him and knocked him off the road. It speeds off as the team gives chase but they eventually corner it and out steps [[Jon Schloder]]. He explains that he'd spilled his coffee, leading to the erratic driving. Regarding the previous day's incident, he says that he spotted Bumblebee driving poorly and perpetrating acts of road rage, but lost track of the Autobot. They head to the previous place Bumblebee had been: the Malto farm. [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] immediately claims he must be to blame as he's always ruining everything. [[Alex Malto|Alex]] shows his collection of Autobot memorabilia to Prowl, and provides the information that Bumblebee was already acting uncharacteristically angry when he was there.

They head to the barn where Thrash comes up with a number of unlikely suspects before pointing the finger at Jawbreaker for breaking his bowling ball. Refocusing the investigation on the Hate Plague, Robby recalls having an arm wrestling match with Bee, during which Bee seemed to be fine, and Izzy dropping off one of his baseball caps. When Prowl touches said baseball cap, he's suddenly stricken with Hate Plague. He advances on Bee, forcing Thrash and Robby to keep him busy so Bumblebee can go for help, which swiftly shows up in the form of Nightshade and their [[Smart Trainer 5009]], outfitted to provide an on-the-spot cure for the Hate Plague, and Prowl is soon back to normal. Nightshade's able to analyze the virus on the hat and calibrate the Smart Trainer to track down the source of the infection.

The Smart Trainer leads the team though the countryside to a pod within which a Quintesson is making a report to the [[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]]. They quickly corner the Quintesson, only for it to scan a nearby raccoon and shape shift into a perfect copy. Robby's able to catch the raccoon, but it again shapeshifts into a bird and flies off, albeit not without taking a shot to the wing from Prowl. They give chase, tracking it to a Witwicky street full of pedestrians. The team fans out, and Thrash again encounters Schloder who points him in the direction of a kerfuffle between a woman and a bird. Thrash is heading to investigate when he spots a second Schloder and realizes he's been talking to the disguised Quintesson. The chase leads them to the [[Witwicky Charter|school]] where they find Izzy walking up the steps. When Prowl points out Izzy could be the shapeshifter, Robby quizzes her with questions only Izzy would know, and determines she's definitely the real Izzy... but then Prowl spots she's also bleeding green goo. Robby is devastated at the revelation that Izzy has been a Quintesson all along. They attempt to corner the Quintesson, who shapeshifts into Prowl and flies off until Robby and Thrash bring it down into the school's football field. The Quintesson next shapeshifts into Jawbreaker and manages to overcome Thrash and Prowl, but after turning back into Izzy, its attempts to persuade Robby to let it go end up with Prowl trapping it in a force field. Now captive, the Quintesson spills that the only thing of interest are Robby and [[Mo Malto|Mo]]'s [[cyber-sleeve]]s as they're a gift from [[Quintus Prime]] and rightfully belong to the Quintessons.

Later, Robby again confronts "Izzy" at the Autobot base, and she announces it's only the beginning.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] (12)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (13)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (11)

|c3=
*[[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] (1)
*[[Robby Malto]] (2)
*[[Mo Malto]] (4)
*[[Dot Malto]] (10)
*[[Alex Malto]] (14)
*[[Jon Schloder]] (15)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (3)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (4)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (6)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (7)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (8)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]] (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"I feel like I'm floating on a cloud of birthday balloons that have been blown up by puppies."
:—'''Jawbreaker'''

"Terran Thrash, due to your dogged pursuit of the kissing facts, I'd like you on my team."
:—'''Prowl'''

"The game's afoot. So many suspects. Cosmos? A carnival ride turned supervillain from one too many gums on the floor? Fluffy Ears? In cahoots with Energon Bear, possibly? Then we come back to JB. Lovable, clumsy JB, who is clearly the guilty party that broke my bowling ball!"
:—'''Thrash''' is way too into being a detective.

"I can't believe you think Izzy is a suspect, Prowl." 
"I appreciate your loyalty, but romantic entanglements have hobbled many a soldier. Ask Optimus."
:—'''Robby''' and '''Prowl'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*We finally get elaboration on Schloder's whereabouts since the end of season 1. Previously his only appearance post season 1 was in "[[The Butterfly Effect]]" during which he was part of the fair and had no lines, though he evidently retained some authority as he was able to arrest [[Fairmaestro]]. During this episode, he notes that he's on leave from his "North Pole outpost" which suggests he runs the secret [[G.H.O.S.T.]] outpost that the kids visited in "[[Fire and Ice]]". As G.H.O.S.T. and its systems were previously shown to be being shut down, as per such episodes as "[[Control Alt Delete]]", it's unclear at this point who he's working for.
*Schloder mentioning him wanting to start a family of his own hits different when one remembers his sister was [[Karen Croft]].

===Transformers references===
* This episode reveals the [[Hate Plague]] is spread by spores like its G1 counterpart. Another key difference is that [[Human|some]] [[Terran|beings]] are naturally immune.
* Bumblebee tells Megatron to "eat [[beryllium baloney]]", a term in use since the G1 cartoon.
* Alex’s action figure collection includes a G1-looking Bee, a G1 Blaster, a Hotrod, a green and red Seaspray, and a Doubledealer.
* Alex mentioned that Scavenger once fried Prowl's circuits, a reference to Prowl's rather gruesome death in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Real-world references===
* The episode's title "The Truth Is Out There" is a reference to [[The X-Files: Conspiracy: The Transformers|X-Files]]'s iconic tagline.

===Errors===
*Robby is standing next to Bumblebee as the later uses his foot to halt Schloder's car. Then some distance away, Prowl screeches to a halt next to Thrash and Robby jumps out.

===Trivia===
*Thrash's personality in this episode feels much more in line with his earlier season 1 characterization rather than his current season 2 characterization.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Verdade Está Lá Fora'''" ("The Truth Is Out There")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 25]], 2024

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La vérité est proche'''" ("The Truth is Close")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 25]], 2025

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Gestaltwandler'''" ("The Shapeshifter")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 15]], 2024

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kebenaran Ada di Luar Sana'''" ("The Truth is Out There")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Prawda cię uwolni'''" ("Truth will set you free")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 25]], 2025

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Fire and Ice

2025-08-02T10:31:06Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 41
|image=FireandIce-TwitchHides.jpg
|caption="Something further down the food chain go first."
|prev=No Soldier Left Behind
|next=The Truth Is Out There
|title="Fire and Ice"
|season=3
|season ep=5
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Aiko Hilkinger]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Sheldon Vella]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/UFy7yecpXLwNCWA6JYs7oK4_yrL__EQm/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''A plague of hate threatens to tear the Autobots apart.
'''

==Synopsis==
[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] uses her hacking skills to deactivate the lockdown on the [[Hypershuttle]]. Everyone piles in, though [[Robby Malto|Robby]] is busy texting [[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]]. She video calls him and he explains that he can't ditch Autobot base because he's off on a supersecret mission, before [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] grabs him and pulls him into the Hypershuttle, resulting in him dropping his backpack and phone. The Hypershuttle launches and deposits the kids on a snow-covered landscape where they start to enjoy their "snow day".

Elsewhere in the base, [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] reunites [[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] with [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] and [[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]]. Prowl and Arcee engage in arm wrestling. Optimus thinks their time is better served tracking the recently departed Decepticons — [[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]] has reported that he's lost visual contact, though they have received mocking images from [[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] and [[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]]. The discussion is cut short by the arrival of an uncharacteristically angry [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]], apparently furious at being left out of the mission into the [[Chaos Dome]]. Elita-1 tries to calm the raging scout, only to be physically grabbed and thrown aside. Arcee goes to help Elita-1 up, but Elita snaps and throws Arcee against a nearby wall. Optimus observes that the three Autobots seem to have lost all control, as they begin to glow red. Things go from bad to worse as [[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] arrives and is immediately infected by Arcee. Optimus, [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] and Prowl flee to avoid being infected as well.

In the [[Arctic]], [[Twitch]] realizes they left the snacks at base, and jumps in the Hypershuttle to retrieve them. As a result, she's there when the base enters lockdown. The other kids quickly discover she and the Hypershuttle are both missing and they can't contact base. Twitch explores the base in search of anyone and finally finds Elita-1 standing over Arcee. The two Autobots immediately start menacing Twitch. Megatron and Optimus meanwhile disagree over their next course of action, as Megatron thinks they should leave the base to seek help while Optimus doesn't want to abandon the Autobots. The trio reach the parking garage where Bumblebee is waiting and charges at Optimus, only for Prowl to intercept him. While Bee and Prowl fight, Optimus prepares to let Megatron out to get help while he intends to stay. They don't get a chance to enact the plan, as Prowl tackles Optimus, infecting him. The raging Optimus flails with his Energon axe, inadvertently reactivating the lockdown. As Optimus advances on Megatron, Twitch hits the Autobot leader with a truck full of freezing gas which seems to momentarily affect the Autobot leader's red glow. Using more of the trucks, Megatron and Twitch manage to get past the infected Autobots and back into the main part of the base.

They reach the Hypershuttle only to find it's still locked down. While Twitch works on releasing it, Optimus arrives and charges, but she manages to get the Hypershuttle working and drag Megatron in just in the nick of time. Unfortunately Megatron reveals he has been infected and when they arrive in the Arctic, he's steadily turning red. Twitch warns the others, though Megatron proves able to handle the hate. That's not their only problem, as the Hypershuttle returns carrying Optimus Prime. As the two giants battle, Twitch is surprised that the cold isn't helping like it did in the base, but [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] reasons that they just need it to be a liquid cold. The Maltos begin breaking up the ice covering the lake that the pair are battling on and Optimus and Megatron start sinking. Twitch dives in after them, and the Maltos successfully rescue the pair. Optimus has Hashtag flood the Autobot base with the coolant gas, curing the other Autobots as well. Optimus and Megatron have a heart to heart, and Robby takes a call from Izzy, letting her know it's been a crazy day but everyone's OK. Optimus and Megatron believe foul play is at work and wonder who's to blame, but don't notice [[Teletraan-1 (ES)|Teletraan-1]] displaying a warning and a [[Quintesson]] insignia.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (10)
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] (11)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (12)
*[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] (13)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (18)
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (19)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (9)
*[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] (14)
*[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] (15)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (16)
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] (17)
|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] (3)
*[[Robby Malto]] (6)
*[[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] (8)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (1)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (2)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (4)
*[[Twitch]] (5)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (7)

|h5=Others||c5=
}}

==Quotes==
"Why would I need help from you, Arcee? I'm your superior." 
"Superior? More like Inferior-1."
:—'''Elita-1''' and '''Arcee''' fight

"Maltos, we must break the ice!" 
"Okay okay okay, if you could live on any planet-" 
"Not that kind of icebreaker!"
:—'''Nightshade''' and '''Jawbreaker'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The Decepticons stole Prowl's ship in the last episode.
* Laserbeak and Frenzy continue their habit of trolling the Autobots and Maltos with a series of selfies.
* This is the first episode since her debut back in "[[Decoy (episode)|Decoy]]" where Arcee has a speaking role.

===Transformers references===
* The [[Hate Plague]] has infected numerous Transformers continuities. This iteration of the plague is very similar to its G1 counterpart; it is spread by touch and engulfs the victims in red energy. A key difference is that the cure is a simple ice bath and not the collective wisdom of the ancients.
* The Quintesson insignia Teletraan-1 displays was originally used for the [[e-HOBBY]] release of [[Overcharge (G1)|Overcharge]].
* Megatron and Optimus Prime's battle is yet another homage to their G1 versions' fight in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]".

===Real-world references===
*
===Errors===

===Trivia===
* This episode marks the first time in a ''Transformers'' TV series that versions of Arcee and Elita-1 have appeared in scenes together.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fogo e Gelo'''" ("Fire and Ice")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 25]], 2024

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Chaud et le Froid'''" ("Hot and Cold")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 25]], 2025

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Feuer und Eis'''" ("Fire and Ice")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 14]], 2024

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Api dan Es'''" ("Fire and Ice")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ogień i lód'''" ("Fire and ice")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 25]], 2025

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

No Soldier Left Behind

2025-08-02T10:30:41Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 40
|image=NoSoldierLeftBehind-OptimusMediates.jpg|
|caption= Look, we all wanted to do this to Prowl after reading IDW.
|prev=The Great Escape
|next=Fire and Ice
|title="No Soldier Left Behind"
|season=3
|season ep=4
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Vinton Heuck|Vinton T. Heuck]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/JGI91AezxbUjnnbHhB7H2YhowFR2VA_W/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''A new Autobot arrives on Earth, but crash-lands in enemy territory.
'''

==Synopsis==
[[Twitch]], [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]], [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] spy a spaceship rapidly descending as they drive along a road. The ship punches through the [[Chaos Dome]] and crashes inside. The kids arrive at the edge of the dome to find [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]], [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Dot Malto|their mom]] already waiting, thanks to advance warning from [[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]]. As it's an Autobot troop transport, it can only have come from the long-lost [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], so Optimus and Megatron launch into a argument over the all-important next step. Megatron is set on battering his way in, but Mo demonstrates her ability to create an opening in the dome. This naturally comes as a surprise to all else present bar Thrash, but the group moves into the dome. Megatron and Dot believe the kids should stay put, but Optimus has them accompany the group in case they need to make a quick exit.

They pause under the immobile [[Terratronus]] to admire the Titan and also [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] still trapped behind her eye. Mo soon spots the smoke from the crashed ship, however [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]'s [[Decepticon]]s reach it first and open fire, intending to flush out whoever's inside. Optimus's group arrives, but stays concealed behind a boulder as Optimus believes the situation is in hand. Sure enough, a drone pops out of the ship and scans the area, at which point the Decepticons' faction symbols begin pulsing red and a pair of massive cannons appear from the ship's upper hull. The following barrage of firepower sends the Decepticons into an immediate retreat, to the delight of the watching Autobot team — Optimus explains that the guns are programmed to fire on Decepticons and then moments later has to shield Megatron from more blasts. While Megatron and Dot remain in cover, the others head to the ship and head inside, only to find it mostly empty except for the pilot, Optimus's "most trusted adviser" [[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]].

Optimus is eager for news from Cybertron, but Prowl says he left ages ago. The attempts to rebuild Cybertron were being hampered by the flaring up of Autobot/Decepticon hostilities and he lost all contact with the planet.The ship is out of [[Energon]] and though Optimus is keen to move out, Prowl says he has to stay and protect it as he's brought the [[Spark Regenerator Key]], an artifact capable of restoring an extinguished [[Spark]]. Prowl spots Megatron on the monitors outside, and before Optimus can stop him, rushes out to confront the former Decepticon leader. Megatron has been forced to leave cover to intercept [[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]], but loses his grip on the Con when Prowl tackles him. Optimus manages to stop Prowl before the fight becomes serious, and Megatron and Prowl come to a state of mutual distrust. Meanwhile the Decepticons spy on the discussion via [[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] and realize Prowl has come alone.

As they need to get the ship out of the dome somehow, the kids realize maybe they can harness the chaos lightning to provide the power. Robby and Mo can use their [[cyber-sleeve]]s to create a sort of jumper cable between the ship and Terratronus's helm. Prowl is skeptical that such a mission can be entrusted to a group of protoforms and Megatron, of all bots, but as the Decepticons pick that moment to attack, it's the plan they have to go with. As Megatron heads off with the rest of the team, Optimus and Prowl start defending the ship against the approaching Decepticons. Megatron is suddenly struck by chaos lightning as he approaches the Titan, causing his passengers to spill out, though he catches them on the way groundward. While the cable's still attached, Megatron's not able to fly any further so the kids instead cyber-sync to take it the rest of the way.

Though Optimus and Prowl do their best against superior numbers, the Decepticons are proving a challenge. The kids reach the top of Terratronus and hold the other end of the jumper cable high. The Decepticons finally get the upper hand when Shockwave restrains Prowl and the Cons take control of the ship. Meanwhile the jumper cable breaks, causing the kids to fall, though Megatron swoops in for a rescue. Though the cable's broken, it's done its job and the ship crackles with energy, allowing the Decepticons to pile aboard and lift off. Optimus and Prowl vainly cling to the boarding ramp as the ship punches through the dome, tailed by Megatron. Prowl falls and Megatron tells Optimus to let go as well, before landing on the boarding ramp and demanding Shockwave surrender. Shockwave offers Megatron a place on the ship, but when Optimus falls, Megatron opts to save his friend instead.

The ship streaks off into the sky. Optimus is unhappy Megatron chose him over securing the ship, while Thrash observes that at least they're free of the Decepticons at last, bar Starscream. Prowl is more concerned about the loss of the Spark Regenerator Key, but it turns out Mo swiped that earlier.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (8)
*[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] (23)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] (9)
*[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] (10)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (11)
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] (12)
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (13)
*[[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]] (14)
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] (15)
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (16)
*[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] (17)
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]] (18)
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] (19)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (20)
*[[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]] (21)
*[[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]] (22)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (2)
*[[Mo Malto]] (4)
*[[Dot Malto]] (6)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (1)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (3)
*[[Terratronus]] (5)

|h5=Others||c5=
}}

==Quotes==
"Why are you traveling with the tiny bots and organics? Are they some kind of pets?"
:—'''Prowl'''

"I think I liked him better in the comics."
:—'''Robby Malto''' clearly having never read the IDW comics.

"Ah, hold still or you're going to learn what curiosity did to the cat."
:—'''Dot Malto''' versus Ravage

"Easy. Prowl is my friend." 
"I thought ''I'' was your friend."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Megatron'''

"Cool, love this plan. And by love, I mean seriously question all of my life choices."
:—'''Thrash'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Mo's ability to open up the dome was first revealed in "[[The Need for Read]]"
===Transformers references===
*Prowl's shuttle resembles the Ark and its shuttles from the G1 continuity.
*The premise of this episode is reminiscent of the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' episode "[[New Recruit]]", also written by Marty Isenberg.
*The [[Spark Regenerator Key]] is a reference to the [[AllSpark Key]] in ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. Mo Malto, ''EarthSpark''{{'}}s girl protagonist, being the one to mischievously grab it at the end is a deliberate nod to [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]], girl protagonist of ''Animated''. Mo was to wear it on a chain with her house key to further the reference, but this was cut.<ref>Personal correspondence between [[User:Keyan Carlile|Keyan Carlile]] and [[Marty Isenberg]].</ref>
*Humans in the episode are referred to as "organics" and "pets", another frequent "Martyism".
*Robby saying he liked Prowl better in the comics could be an amusing jab at [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]'s infamous characterization in the [[2005 IDW continuity]].
*Prowl refers to himself as Optimus's "most trusted advisor," likely calling back to when Optimus called Prowl "most trusted of my advisors" in the [[The Transformers (issue)|first issue of the Marvel comics.]]

===Real-world references===
*
===Errors===
*Nova Storm and Skywarp are both missing their wings in robot mode as they board the ship.

===Trivia===
*

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Nenhum Soldado Fica Para Trás'''" ("No Soldier Gets Left Behind")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 25]], 2024

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''On n'abandonne pas un soldat'''" ("No Soldier Left Behind")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 18]], 2025

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Niemand wird zurückgelassen'''" ("Nobody will be Left Behind")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 8]], 2024

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tak Ada Prajurit yang Tertinggal'''" ("No Soldier Left Behind")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Nikogo nie zostawiamy'''" ("We don't leave anyone behind")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 18]], 2025

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

The Great Escape

2025-08-02T10:30:09Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 39
|image=TheGreatEscape-Fairmaestro.jpg
|caption=
|prev=Attack of the Drive-In Movie
|next=No Soldier Left Behind
|title="The Great Escape"
|season=3
|season ep=3
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Jen Bardekoff]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Scooter Tidwell]]
|video=https://https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/SNd7DL8oEN6xouMSYLhr4tp7kZC0490t/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''The Maltos must navigate a rigged escape room or risk becoming trapped forever.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Twitch]] finds a puzzle box floating under balloons with her name on them. She grabs it and returns to the farm where she finds the rest of the Malto kids have identical boxes which they're unable to open. Twitch quickly works out the solution and opens her box, prompting the rest of the family to hand over their boxes so she can open them all. The boxes contain invitations to an escape room with an extra challenge to turn up at dusk.

The kids, including a reluctant [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]], dutifully turn up at what appears to be a disused warehouse with a ticket machine in it. The ticket machine poses a riddle which Twitch quickly solves, resulting in them all being issued with golden tickets. Thrash immediately thinks they should ditch the escape room and sell the tickets, though as Nightshade points out, they're only made of fool's gold. As soon as they use the tickets, the [[Fairmaestro]] appears in a smoke burst. Thrash attempts to leave, only to find the entrance has been sealed with multiple locks — as the Fairmaestro announces, they must complete his game to leave or else become the replacement for his lost Cosmic Thunder ride.

The kids find themselves faced with the first challenge, a two-player rhythm action game. Robby and Mo take a crack at it, but the difficulty is escalated when the lit-up squares begin moving up the wall, and Twitch lends a hand by boosting the kids up. The first two keys are revealed, and when Twitch picks them up, Robby and Mo disappear. The next challenge is a test of strength, but every time [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] hits the target with the hammer, the bell moves up further. Twitch works out the trick and tells Jawbreaker to hit the target gently, allowing him to finally ring the bell. Jawbreaker disappears. Challenge three is to guess the weight shown on the scales Fairmaestro is standing on. [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] starts calculating likely values, but once Twitch discovers that it's actually a hologram of Fairmaestro, they realize the weight must be showing as zero. Another key pops up and Nightshade vanishes. In rapid succession, the kids solve fairground games for [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] and Thrash and finally Twitch... only for Twitch to find herself alone in front of the exit seal.

Twitch is confused as to where the rest of her family is, but Fairmaestro reveals that since she helped them all with their challenges, they did not legitimately win and have become part of his new ride. The Terrans are locked in alt mode with [[restraining bolt]]s and attached to a ride while Robby and Mo are trapped in a ticket booth. Twitch evades the Fairmaestro's firing of restraining bolts at her and apologizes to the others for causing them to fail. Nightshade has spotted something in the fine print that will help however — the tickets are null and void if destroyed. Twitch attempts to get the tickets back from the ticket machine, only to be sealed in a huge tank while the tickets are blown around her. Robby meanwhile speeds up the ride the other Terrans are attached to, allowing Jawbreaker to use his tail to free Robby and Mo, who then release the others. Nightshade rapidly comes up with a plan to use create magnets using balloons and static electricity. The group successfully charges up a hammer which Twitch uses to retrieve the tickets so she can shred them in her rotors.

Fairmaestro asks if the kids would like to give the escape room another try, to which Twitch issues a challenge of her own — if Fairmaestro can beat the escape room himself without cheating, she'll volunteer to be his ride. Fairmaestro eagerly dives in, though as Twitch observes, he'll never beat it himself.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
|c2=

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (6)
*[[Mo Malto]] (7)
*[[Fairmaestro]] (8)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (1)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (2)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (3)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (4)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (5)

|h5=Others||c5=
}}

==Quotes==
"Escape room? Why go in something you have to escape out of when we're already out of it now?"
:—'''Thrash'''

'''Jawbreaker:''' "Who's the 'Fair-Mustard'?" 
'''Mo:''' "We met him at the school carnival. He's the horrible, rotten, no-good guy who was mean to [[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]]." 
'''Fairmaestro:''' "That description makes me look terrible. I quite like it."

"Who said I was fair?" 
"It's right there in your name." 
"That's because I'm the maestro of a f- oh never mind."
:—'''Fairmaestro''' and '''Jawbreaker'''

"What have you done?" 
"The question is, what have ''you'' done?"
:—'''Twitch''' and '''Fairmaestro'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The original encounter with the Fairmaestro and the loss of his Cosmic Thunder ride took place in "[[The Butterfly Effect]]".

===Transformers references===
* To motivate Jawbreaker, Twitch tells him that "it takes a strong person to be gentle"—this is a paraphrased bit of advice that was, according to [[Peter Cullen]], given to him by his brother Larry before he auditioned for the role of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]].

===Real-world references===
*The golden tickets and very fine print are likely references to the classic film ''{{w|Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory}}''.
*Aspects of the escape room are shared with British game show ''{{w|The Crystal Maze}}'', which was hosted by Fairmaestro's voice actor [[Richard Ayoade]]. For instance, the final challenge for each episode of the show was to catch gold foil tokens being blown inside the Crystal Dome.
*Fairmaestro's scheme involving riddles is very reminiscent of {{w|Riddler|The Riddler}}.
*The first challenge is based on the [[Konami]] rhythm game ''{{w|Dance Dance Revolution}}''.
*According to Robbie, said game is easier than the Philippine folk dance {{w|tinikling}}.

===Errors===

===Trivia===
* Throughout the entirety of the episode, the Terrans seemingly forget that they have ''actual weapons'' they could use to escape... or the fact that they're ''giant metal robots'' who could very easily smash their way out of a plywood escape room in an old warehouse. Failing that, there's no reason given why they couldn't try to contact [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] or [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] for help, instead of playing along with Fairmaestro's blatantly rigged challenges.
* While his [[The Butterfly Effect|previous episode]] depicted Fairmaestro as an illusionist-type, this episode plays up his abilities to an absurd degree. Not only can he instantly poof the Terrans from place to place without their knowledge or transform the room they're in into different configurations, he can also summon gigantic carnival rides and circus attractions at will, something closer to outright ''magic'' rather than traditional smoke-and-mirrors prestidigitation.
* Twitch seemingly breaks the fourth wall by declaring "Cue the montage!"

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Grande Fuga'''" ("The Great Escape")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 25]], 2024
:**Jawbreaker doesn't do the "Fair-Mustard" joke.

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Grande Évasion'''" ("The Great Escape")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 18]], 2025

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Escape-Spiel'''" ("The Escape Game")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], 2024

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Pelarian Hebat'''" ("The Great Escape")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Wielka ucieczka'''" ("Great escape")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 18]], 2025

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Attack of the Drive-In Movie

2025-08-02T10:29:40Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 38
|image=AttackOfTheDriveInMovie-MoleBots.jpg
|caption=Insert ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' reference here.
|prev=The Need for Read
|next=The Great Escape
|title="Attack of the Drive-In Movie"
|season=3
|season ep=2
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Ian Busch]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Sheldon Vella]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/FstHJkPV6FJJ0ZzDpUFBvirnLoPzylmc/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Robby and Izzy’s movie hangout goes wrong when Nightshade's invention brings the movie monsters to life.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Robby Malto|Robby]] emerges from [[Witwicky Charter|school]] in time to have the world's most awkward conversation with [[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] as she boards the bus, somehow culminating in Izzy agreeing to hang out with Robby that evening.

In the [[Dugout]], [[Mo Malto|Mo]] asks Robby what he's planning to do for the hang out. His lackluster response results in Mo suggesting he and Izzy watch a movie, which [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] asserts must be done on a big screen and [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] volunteers their new hyper-reality film projector for the task. [[Alex Malto]] is ready to provide snacks, and soon the Malto parents are driving Robby and Izzy to the drive in venue the rest of the family have set up. Robby introduces Izzy to the Terrans on the way, but is surprised when they reach the drive in and find it's packed — Hashtag explains she posted about the screening of ''[[The Alien Mole Bots Who Ate Philadelphia]]'' on social media and it went viral. Even [[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] and [[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] are watching from inside the [[Chaos Dome]]. Hashtags loudly tests the sound system while Alex provides popcorn from the [[Bumble Beestro]], before the movie starts, much to Robby's shortlived relief.

As the movie begins, the first jump scare causes Hashtag to accidentally bump the 3D printer button on the projector, allowing a [[Mole Bot]] to emerge from the screen unnoticed by the audience. Izzy takes interest in Robby's [[cyber-sleeve]], but while he's enjoying his hand being held, the pair are suddenly hit by leaves which [[Twitch]] and [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] are blowing to simulate the movie effects. This is followed by a bucket of water as it begins raining in the movie, and Robby goes to find towels. Jawbreaker and Twitch investigate a car alarm and are attacked by the loose Mole Bot whih they chase to the edge of the dome, where it again attacks Jawbreaker, much to the amusement of the Decepticons. Robby and Izzy's viewing is again interrupted, this time by [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] and Alex with movie snacks. Unseen by Robby or Izzy, the Mole Bot gets into the car and starts eating their snacks until Twitch tackles it while Jawbreaker keeps the pair distracted and unaware.

The Mole Bot slips into the projection booth and hits the 3D printer button on the projector, resulting in a crowd of Mole Bots emerging from the screen. Unseen by Robby or Izzy, the rest of the family attempts to fight the horde. Hashtag goes to turn the projector off, only to find the booth is full of Mole Bots chanting "Mama". The rest of the Mole Bots also start chanting as the Kaiju-sized Mother Mole Bot appears on the movie screen and starts emerging into the real world. The creature's claw picks up the car Robby and Izzy are in, though they assume it's Jawbreaker acting out more special effects. Hashtag manages to switch the projector, resealing the Mother Mole Bot into the movie, but with the side effect that Robby and Izzy are now trapped in there too. The pair manage to escape the giant Mole Bot, only to realize their predicament.

Nightshade realizes that if Robby and Izzy are still in there when the movie ends, they'll be trapped there forever. Meanwhile Izzy is having a great time fleeing from a giant Mole Bot with Robby. The pair use a discarded web gun and Robby's cyber-sleeve powers to take down the Mother, which makes Hashtag realize they're running out of time. Nightshade asserts they still has 19 minutes to figure out a solution, at which point Hashtag realizes she accidentally grabbed the sequel instead of the original movie, and they've been watching ''[[The Alien Mole Bots Who Ate Philadelphia Again Versus Nucleadon]]''. They have one minute before [[Nucleadon]]'s atomic death ray destroys the movie city. Fortunately Robby and Izzy, trapped between Nucleadon and a flat city backdrop, proclaim their mutual like, leading to almost a kiss which gives Nightshade the shot needed to extract them from the movie. With the movie and crisis over, Izzy agrees to another future date with Robby and kisses him on the cheek.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
|c2=
*[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] (11)
*[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] (12)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (1)
*[[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] (2)
*[[Dot Malto]] (7)
*[[Alex Malto]] (8)
*[[Mo Malto]] (10)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (3)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (4)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (5)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (6)
*[[Twitch]] (9)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Mole Bot]]s (13)

}}

==Quotes==
"Hey, Laserbeak! Shut it, or I'll come in there and shut it for you!"
:—'''Hashtag'''

"Robby, you OK? If you're scared, Mama can come sit next to you."
:—'''Dot Malto'''

"No way. It's not a Mole Bot. They're not real." 
"Well, maybe it's a cosplaying baby?"
:—'''Twitch''' and '''Jawbreaker'''

"Why didn't I pick a documentary on teddy bears and rainbows?!"
:—'''Hashtag'''

"I gotta be honest. I was rooting for Big Mama." 
"Stop blocking the screen!"
:—'''Laserbeak''' and '''Frenzy'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This is the first time since its introduction in "[[Friends and Family]]" that we see the [[Witwicky Charter]] school appear.

===Transformers references===
* This episode is very similar to the Rescue Bots episode "[[The Attack of Humungado]]". Both episodes involve movie monsters coming out of a drive-in screen because of a special projector.

===Real-world references===
*The 50s movie evokes the flood of low-budget monster movies that proliferated during 1950s Hollywood.
*The Mole Bots naming and designs may be based on the Canadian animated series ''RollBots''.

===Errors===
*Witwicky Charter has acquired a tree to the left of the front doors which didn't exist back in "[[Friends and Family]]".
*The film reels on Nightshade's projector appear to have the film going from the front reel through the projector, up to the back reel, and then across to the front reel again in a closed loop.
*As Jawbreaker first tries to distract Robby and Izzy, a character in the film lifts up a Philadelphia Explorer newspaper with the paper's name on the back page rather than the front. For subsequent shots, the newspaper pages are flipped back so the paper's name is on the front page.
*Back in "[[The Butterfly Effect]]", the cybersleeve's empathic link was strong enough for Mo, Thrash, and Twitch to be discombobulated by Robby's 'butterflies in stomach' feeling. How are they not picking up his much more obvious embarrassment here?

===Trivia===
* This is the only ''EarthSpark'' episode so far to feature Decepticons and not feature any Autobots.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ataque no Cinema'''" ("Attack at the Theater")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 25]], 2024

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Attaque au cinéma'''" ("Attack at the Theater")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 11]], 2025

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ein unvergesslicher Kinoabend'''" ("An unforgettable Movie Night")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 1]], 2024

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Serangan di Bioskop Drive-In'''" ("Attack at the Drive-In Cinema")
:*''Original airdate:'' TBA

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Atak w kinie samochodowym''" ("Attack in the drive in cinema")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 11]], 2025

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Witwicky, Part 2

2025-08-02T10:28:11Z

Silverfoil:

{{disambig3|Witwicky}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 36
|image=WitwickyPart2Thumbnail.jpg
|caption=One shall rise...
|prev=Witwicky, Part 1
|next=The Need for Read
|title="Witwicky, Part 2"
|season=2
|season ep=10
|airdate=[[June 7]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) TBD [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Dale Malinowski]] [[Amy Wolfram]] [[Matt Wayne]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Sheldon Vella]]
|video=
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''The remaining Maltos make a last ditch effort to stop Starscream's reign of chaos. '''
==Synopsis==
In the [[Dugout]], the Maltos are relaxing post-party when a video message from [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] arrives to fill them in about the existance of [[Terratronus]] underneath [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]] and [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]]'s plan to bend the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] to his will. [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] is confident that they've protected their half of the [[Emberstone]] adequately, but they need to get the Embershards that the [[Decepticon]]s have collected as well. [[Robby Malto|Robby]] takes charge, assigning [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] and [[Alex Malto|his dad]] to guard their shards while he and the rest of the Maltos go on a mission to get the Decepticons' stash.
[[File:WitwickyPart2Decepticons.jpg|thumb|250px|left|One shall fall...]]
Meanwhile, Starscream is supremely confident that they'll soon be victorious. [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] isn't keen on the plan, believing they should be concentrating on returning to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Discussion is cut short by explosions taking out the main gate of the Decepticon base — a combined [[Autobot]]/[[Terran]] force has arrived to stage an assault. As the Decepticons confront them, Starscream contacts [[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] to tell her to employ her "unique skills". The Cons turn down [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus]] and [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]]'s request they surrender, and battle begins.

Alex is giving Thrash a combat lesson when a grenade drops in, knocking out Thrash when he heroically protects his father. Spitfire swoops in and, using her similarity with [[Twitch]], passes the bio-scan on the vault containing the Embershards. Having claimed the shards, she moves in on Alex.

While the battle rages at the Decepticon base, Robby and Twitch fly into the base proper and retrieve the Decepticons' shard collection. As they leave, the hidden Shockwave takes aim at them, but opts not to fire. They emerge to find that Starscream now has Alex as a hostage and Robby is forced to hand over the hard won shards in return for his father's life. As the Decepticons move out, Starscream gives Spitfire the honor of combining the shards. The shards, combined once more into a stone, unleash red lightning across the Decepticon base that deactivates the Autobot and Terran forces present. A bolt of lightning also seizes Spitfire but dissipates once she grabs the completed stone, and she and Starscream fly off, leaving [[Dot Malto|Dot]] to survey the carnage.

Thrash comes around to find [[Fluffy Ears]] licking him and starts looking for the other Maltos before realizing the Embershards have gone. He gets a call from Robby to come pick him up at the Decepticon base.

Mo and Hashtag enter Terratronus's [[spark]] chamber, and Mo snaps more pictures while worrying about the rest of the family. Hashtag tries to reassure her, but is undercut by the arrival of [[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] and Spitfire, along with Starscream and the corrupted Emberstone. Figuring something bad's happened, an enraged Mo attempts to attack Starscream but Hashtag pulls her back. Meanwhile Thrash and Robby speed through the underground corridors, trailing Starscream. Hashtag's attempts to appeal to Starscream's better nature fail, and Aftermath seals her and Mo out of the chamber just as Robby and Thrash arrive. Robby tries unsuccessfully to bait Aftermath into letting them in, before Starscream takes the [[Cyber Slayer]] back and turns it on Aftermath, reclaiming the Embershard that was animating the Chaos Terran. The Maltos try to get Spitfire to let them in, but too late, as Starscream does the same to her. With the now complete Emberstone, Starscream gives himself a "Chaos Sleeve" and links with Terratronus's spark.

Terratronus bursts from the ground near Witwicky while the onlooking Decepticons cheer. Starscream takes the moment to flush Robby, Mo, Thrash and Hashtag from the Titan's body. Fortunately they reach the ground relatively safely and manage to avoid the giant fist Starscream sends their way. The Decepticons are glad they're on Starscream's side, until a careless swipe of Terratronus's hand sends them and much of the mountainside flying, as Starscream attempts to eliminate the fleeing Maltos. Realizing Starscream's out of control, Shockwave heads off in a new direction and invites the other Decepticons to follow. The Maltos are knocked flat by another swipe from Terratronus, and Robby, spying the terrified townsfolk, realizes they have to stop Starscream now. He and Mo join together to create a huge [[force field]] dome over the Titan, which also has the side effect of sealing the fleeing Decepticons in with her. The Emberstone is teleported to Robby and Mo, breaking Starscream's hold on Terratronus and restoring the deactivated Autobots and Terrans. The two kids attempt to uncorrupt the Emberstone, only for it to instead shatter once again and this time the shards crumble into dust. Robby believes the power is now inside them, as they've accomplished so much without even possessing the Emberstone. Twitch contacts Robby who fills her in on recent events, and resolves to find a way to help Terratronus, still frozen within the huge force field.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]]
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]]
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]]
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]]
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]]

|c2=
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]]
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]]
*[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]]
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]]
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]]
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]]
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]]
*[[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]]
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]]
*[[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]]
*[[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]]
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]]
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]]

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]]
*[[Mo Malto]]
*[[Dot Malto]]
*[[Alex Malto]]

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]]
*[[Twitch]]
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]]
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]]
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]]
*[[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]]
*[[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]]
*[[Terratronus]]

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Fluffy Ears]]

}}

==Quotes==
"Decepticons, when the sun next rises, it will shine upon New Cybertron. I, her ruler."
:—'''Starscream'''

'''Optimus:''' "Starscream, surrender your collection of Embershards, and we will leave you in peace." 
'''Megatron:''' "Resist, and we will leave you in pieces." 
'''Bumblebee:''' "Please pick option one. Did I mention it comes with a new front door?"

"You are more cruel than Megatron ever was." 
"Such compliments in my moment of triumph. And now watch me be more effective than Megatron ever was."
:—'''Hashtag''' and '''Starscream'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===

===Transformers references===
*TBD

===Real-world references===
*Shockwave drops the famous "come with me if you want to live" line from the [[Transformers vs. The Terminator|Terminator]] franchise.

===Errors===
* In the Decepticon group shot right before the fight with the Autobots as Starscream lands, Nova Storm is missing her wings.
* The Bumblebee vase Nightshade places over the Emberstone hideout breaks in several pieces when Spitfire kicks it to the side. Later, when Thrash finds the vase, it's lying on the floor in a different position and is completely intact.

===Trivia===
* According to the clock in Witwicky, Terratronus emerges from the ground at 7am.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'histoire de Witwicky, 2ème partie'''" ("The History of Witwicky, 2nd part")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[August 4]], 2024

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Witwicky, Parte 2'''" ("Witwicky, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 6]], 2024

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Witwicky, część druga'''" ("Witwicky, part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[August 4]], 2024

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Witwicky, Part 1

2025-08-02T10:27:50Z

Silverfoil:

{{disambig3|Witwicky}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 35
|image=TerratronusAndHashtag.jpeg
|caption=
|prev=Dude, Where's My Trailer?
|next=Witwicky, Part 2
|title="Witwicky, Part 1"
|season=2
|season ep=9
|airdate=[[June 7]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) TBD [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Vinton Heuck|Vinton T. Heuck]]
|video=
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Starscream's masterplan nears completion; meanwhile Hashtag and Mo make a shocking underground discovery. '''

==Synopsis==
The Malto family celebrates collecting another Embershard, but as [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] reunites it with the other shards, electricity arcs to them from the shard collection. As everyone else takes cover, [[Twitch]] closes the shard containment and once the arcs of energy stop, Nightshade falls to the ground. Fortunately they're relatively unharmed, and reports that all Embershards are now accounted for — those they don't already have are currently in the hands of the [[Decepticon]]s. As they celebrate with an impromptu dance party, [[Alex Malto]] reminds [[Mo Malto|Mo]] that she also has a history report to complete — a photo journal of [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]] history, and it's due tomorrow. She admits she's been too busy saving the world to get started on it, however her attempts to explain why she hasn't done any of it do not go down well with her parents. [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] offers to help, as there's is almost no information online about Witwicky. [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] suggests that the creepy ruins will get Mo an easy A, but opts out of actually volunteering to go, so Mo and Hashtag head out.

The pair soon reach the cave where Mo and Thrash found the [[Quintesson Executioner (ES)|Quintesson Executioner]] and Mo snaps a couple of photos before wanting to head home. Hashtag talks her into staying so they can check out where the Quintesson was found. She's fascinated as Mo tells the story of how the Quintesson ended up there, and jumps to the bottom of the pyramid, only for the ground to cave in beneath her. Mo suits up and dives into the abyss as well. After plummeting for a while, Hashtag manages to grab Mo and hook them both onto a rock bridge using a tow cable. They're just gathering their wits when a [[Dweller (ES)|Dweller]] appears behind Mo. The pair attempt to make their escape, but as they head for a door, a second Dweller appears in front of them, and they're forced to do a U turn to speed back past the first Dweller while the rock bridge collapses. They again head towards the door around the edge of the chasm, but there are more Dwellers, and they have to hide. Mo has a reluctant Hashtag turn her lights off, recalling that the Dwellers are attracted to light, which allows the pair to sneak to the door and head through before the Dwellers can get to them. They find themselves in one of the alien corridors they'd seen previously, and Hashtag has [[V.A.L.]] combine all the maps they have of the alien tunnels into one, but before they can investigate further, they're interrupted by loud noises.

[[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] and [[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] are using the [[Cyber Slayer]] to attempt to break into the alien tunnels. They pause as Spitfire uses her fellow Chaos Terran to recharge the weapon before handing him cave water so he can recharge. Spitfire's blows with the Cyber Slayer activate [[Quintus Prime]]'s message embedded on the wall, and she strikes the center of it, breaching the wall and causing a flood of water that washes Mo and Hashtag down a series of corridors before dumping them in a cavern. Mo decides maybe they should head home, but as V.A.L. reports, they're currently off the map. Looking around, they spy a giant face in the rock. Elsewhere Aftermath and Spitfire intensify their efforts with the Cyber Slayer, and the disruption causes the face to come to life, introducing itself to Hashtag and Mo as the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Terratronus]]. On being questioned by the two Maltos, the Titan relates the story of how Quintus Prime used the [[Emberstone]] to create life across the galaxy including the [[Quintesson]]s, who began to distrust the Prime. She explains how they went to war against Quintus, who retired to [[Earth]] and hid the Emberstone, using it to create Terratronus to guard it. She was able to trick the Quintessons into thinking Quintus had left Earth, though they left the Dwellers behind. Thus, Terratronus and the Emberstone were hidden for millions of years until [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and Mo were chosen as new custodians of the Emberstone. Terratronus is horrified to learn that the Emberstone has been shattered and tells Hashtag and Mo to protect her spark chamber at all costs — if she was corrupted by the chaos energy of the shattered Emberstone, she would fall under the power of whoever wielded it. The pair realize that this is what [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]]'s plan has been, however they're too far underground to send a warning to anyone else.

Meanwhile, Aftermath and Spitfire finally manage to breach the wall they've been hammering, revealing a brilliant red light...

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=

|c2=

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (6)
*[[Mo Malto]] (7)
*[[Dot Malto]] (8)
*[[Alex Malto]] (9)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (1)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (2)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (3)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (4)
*[[Twitch]] (5)
*[[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] (11)
*[[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] (12)
*[[Terratronus]] (13)

|h5=Others||c5=
* [[Dweller (ES)|Dweller]] (10)
*''[[Quintus Prime]]'' (14)
*''Quintessons'' (15)

}}

==Quotes==
"How's your other big project going?" 
"I got to grow a few more inches before I go to pro wrestling tryouts."
:—'''Alex''' and '''Mo''' on Mo's aspirations.

"Isn't it super weird that there is almost nothing on the Internet about Witwicky? Tell 'em, VAL!" 
"Witwicky, Pennsylvania, a town that exists in Pennsylvania. The end."
:—'''Hashtag''' consults Wikipedia via '''V.A.L.'''.

"Is homework supposed to be this fun?" 
"Which part of this is fun?!"
:—'''Mo''' and '''Hashtag''' falling to their doom.

"Ha! Some style you've got there Spitfire, or should I call you No-Fire?" 
"Ha ha ha. And I thought you were just funny ''looking''." 
"Aftermath is the complete package. Ta-da!"
:—'''Aftermath''' and '''Spitfire'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Mo notes they've been collecting Embershards for "over a year".
* Hashtag gained her virtual assistant V.A.L. in "[[Control Alt Delete]]".
* Hashtag and Mo revisit the cave seen in "[[In Ruins]]".
* A flashback from "[[What Dwells Within]]" reminds Hashtag of facing her fears from the first time they encountered a Dweller.

===Transformers references===
*TBD

===Real-world references===
*Hashtag suggests starting a podcast titled "My Sister and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Alien", a reference to 1972 children's book ''{{w|Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day}}'' which was loosely adapted into a film in 2014.

===Errors===
*Despite suggestions that there's almost no information about the town out there, in prior episodes we've seen copies of a book titled "A History of Witwicky: Volume 4".

===Trivia===
*The Ancient Autobot writing discovered by Spitfire and Aftermath translates to "IN TIMES OF NEED HELP SHALL RISE TO YOUR CALL"- the same message found in the cave in the episode "[[Friends and Family]]".

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'histoire de Witwicky, 1ère partie'''" ("The History of Witwicky, 1st part")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[August 3]], 2024

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Witwicky, Parte 1'''" ("Witwicky, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 6]], 2024

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Witwicky, część pierwsza'''" ("Witwicky, part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[August 3]], 2024

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Dude, Where's My Trailer?

2025-08-02T10:26:16Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 34
|image=DudeWhere'sMyTrailerThumbnail.jpg
|caption=The all-new Terran 2024.
|prev=The Imposters
|next=Witwicky, Part 1
|title="Dude, Where's My Trailer?"
|season=2
|season ep=8
|airdate=[[June 7]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[January 25]], [[2025]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Russ Carney]] & [[Ron Corcillo]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Scooter Tidwell]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/1SkrQEdGHDp2pvkUQOhRA6TbgMz09w0J/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Robby and Hashtag take Optimus' trailer to be washed only for it be stolen, multiple times.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] and [[Robby Malto|Robby]] are attempting to talk [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] into doing a photo shoot for popular blog [[Trucks Illustrated]]. With some help from [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]], they get him to agree, though they have to talk him out of showing the trailer in battle mode. When Jawbreaker notes the trailer could use a wash, Optimus assigns Robby and Hashtag the task.

Hashtag takes the trailer to a nearby car wash and Robby sets about cleaning it while she sets up a [[Sparkz|social media account]] for publicity purposes. Robby spots that one of the wheels is missing a valve cap, so he pops into the nearby store for supplies. On emerging, he finds Hashtag oblivious to the fact that the trailer is now missing. The pair start searching, but refrain from notifying Optimus on the grounds it will make him less likely to trust him with important tasks in future.

Back at base, Jawbreaker, anticipating that the blog may want to interview Optimus, sits down to practice some interview questions with the Autobot leader. This swiftly wears on Optimus.

Hashtag taps into the network of cameras [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] has set up throughout [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]] and spots [[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] moving the trailer onto a rail crossing before spray-painting a target onto it. The pair speed to stage a trailer rescue. Meanwhile [[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] and [[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] are observing Aftermath and coming up with their own plans. Hashtag and Robby, heading for the rail crossing, spot an oncoming train and race it there. They're able to get to the crossing and knock Aftermath down before the train reaches it, though he gives enough of a struggle that Robby is forced to punch the trailer off the tracks. Aftermath, connected to it by his tow cable, is pulled into the path of the train and hit full on by it. Robby starts listing what they'll need to fix the trailer, but once the train passes, realizes that the trailer is once again missing. Swindle and Hardtop have successfully spirited it away.

Despite Hashtag's assertions that they should come clean to Optimus, Robby is determined to get the trailer back. Jawbreaker is wrapping up his practice interview with Optimus when Robby contacts him and asks him to keep stalling. Jawbreaker opts to have Optimus work on his camera poses. Hashtag and Robby return to their search for the trailer and get a hint from the distant laser fire. Swindle and Hardtop have taken the trailer to a quarry and are trying to shoot it open. Robby and Hashtag arrive to find them hoisting the trailer onto a conveyor, so while Hashtag distracts the cons, Robby sets about trying to rescue the trailer. He manages to stop the conveyor belt before it can drop the trailer into the quarry, but while Hashtag struggles to retrieve the trailer, [[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] and [[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] arrive. The pair snag the trailer with tow cables, and though Hashtag does her best, she's thrown off and crashes into the quarry.

Jawbreaker, still in delay mode, is giving Optimus a pedicure. When he inadvertently mentions the trailer, Optimus asks him to tell Hashtag and Robby to bring the trailer back now.

The message is passed on to Robby and Hashtag. Robby comes up with the idea of using the trailer's car alarm to track it down. They find it at [[Sal's Salvage|the salvage yard]], being battered by the two Decepticon jets. Having failed to break into it that way, Nova Storm and Skywarp decide to try blasting it instead, but while their backs are turned, Robby lifts the trailer up with an electromagnet and drops it on the two Cons. As Hashtag drives off with the trailer, Robby starts listing the supplies they'll need, only for Nova Storm to add to their woes by using the last of her strength to blast two of the trailer's wheels.

With thirty minutes until the photo shoot, Optimus tells Jawbreaker to have the others meet them there, and rolls out.

Robby laments when the news reaches them, but fortunately Hashtag has filled in the rest of the family, and [[Mo Malto|Mo]], [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]], [[Twitch]] and Nightshade show up with the supplies necessary. Soon the trailer is a hive of industrial cleaning and repair until it's back to perfect condition, and the rest of the family heads off. Unfortunately the Cons pick this moment to catch up, forcing Robby to switch the trailer into battle mode so he can use it to fight back.

At the photo shoot at [[Witwicky Donuts]], Optimus embarrassingly admits his trailer has gone missing and resigns himself to using a substitute trailer. Hashtag meanwhile computes various routes to the photo shoot and opts for "insane", busting through a water tank to clean the trailer on the way. They arrive at the photo shoot to Optimus's delight, however it turns out they've used pine air freshener which Optimus is allergic to, so the photographer gets an embarrassing shot of Optimus sneezing.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (2)

|c2=
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] (7)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (6)
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] (8)
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (9)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (3)
*[[Mo Malto]] (11)
*Photographer (14)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (2)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (4)
*[[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] (5)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (10)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (12)
*[[Twitch]] (13)

|h5=Others||c5=

}}

==Quotes==
"OK, big guy, we want you to be ready in case the blog wants to do an interview. So let's practice with some hard-hitting questions. What's your favorite color?" 
"Red and blue and chrome." 
"Uh-huh, uh-huh. Now where do you see yourself in ten thousand years?" 
"I fear having this same conversation with you."
:—'''Jawbreaker''' interviews '''Optimus Prime'''

"Eesh, you know what your problem is? A lack of vision, and a whole list of other things that I keep in my 'What's Wrong With Hardtop' journal. I'll read em to ya later."
:—'''Swindle'''

"But if we keep doing the same pointless thing over and over, it'll work eventually, right?"
:—'''Hardtop''' imparts wisdom.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*TBD

===Transformers references===
*TBD

===Real-world references===
* The title of this episode is a reference to the 2000 stoner comedy film ''{{W|Dude, Where's My Car?}}''.

===Errors===
*TBD

===Trivia===
*Turns out Optimus (in this continuity) is allergic to pine scent.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La remorque disparue'''" ("The Lost Trailer")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 28]], 2024

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Cara, Cadê Minha Carroceria'''" ("Dude, Where's My Trailer")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 6]], 2024
::*This episode is out of order on Paramount+ Brazil, being placed after "[[Witwicky, Part 2]]".

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Koleś, gdzie moja przyczepa?'''" ("Dude, where is my trailer?")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 28]], 2024

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

The Imposters

2025-08-02T10:24:55Z

Silverfoil:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 33
|image=TheImpostersThumbnail.jpg
|caption='''EMERGENCY MEETING'''
|prev=Spitfire (episode)
|next=Dude, Where's My Trailer?
|title="The Imposters"
|season=2
|season ep=7
|airdate=[[June 7]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[January 18]], [[2025]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Ian Busch]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Sheldon Vella]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/GA3gaqf4oTB4ifee0X6D8MN8CK4NmbDx/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}
'''Spitfire takes from Twitch everything she loves most.'''

==Synopsis==
As [[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] plummets towards the ground, [[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] zooms in attempting to catch her, but misses so she hits the ground in the quarry. Aftermath moves in anyway to introduce himself as a fellow Chaos [[Terran]], only for Spitfire to be confused, because she's not Spitfire, she's [[Twitch]] in Spitfire's body. Aftermath, not cottoning on to the change in circumstance, suggests "Spitfire" have some cave water to perk her up. Meanwhile Spitfire, now inhabiting Twitch's form, is reluctantly undergoing a medical examination by [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]]. Wheeljack says she's fine and running at 99%, but [[Robby Malto|Robby]] still can't feel her emotions though his [[cyber-sleeve]].

Aftermath meanwhile arrives back at the Decepticon Base with Twitch, who's alarmed to find herself on enemy territory, but does her best to act like one of the Cons. [[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] and [[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] are weirded out by Twitch's attempts to act tough, and assign the Chaos Terrans the task of organizing the ammo boxes. Aftermath leaves Twitch to it and goes to relax somewhere. Meanwhile the Maltos are now suspicious of Spitfire, who keeps calling Robby "Bobby". Wheeljack wonders if they shouldn't run more tests, and [[Dot Malto|Dot]] insists that Robby accompany "Twitch" on the Autobot mission she's been assigned.

Twitch is moving ammo boxes when she overhears [[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] reporting to [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] that the Autobots are planning to move the [[Cyber Slayer]]. She can't help a shocked exclamation when Starscream immediately plans an ambush, bringing her to the Cons' attention. Starscream is unimpressed with having a new Chaos Terran around, and tells Aftermath to keep her out of the way. Twitch promises to keep far, far away. On the Malto farm, Spitfire and [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] are accessing the Embershards previously collected when the alarm goes off. Spitfire heads out to investigate and finds Twitch attempting to talk to Robby through his bedroom window and attacks her. Twitch tries to persuade Spitfire that they should switch bodies so they can return to their lives, but Spitfire is happy where she is, and when Robby runs up, she pretends Twitch is attacking her, dramatically fainting. Robby suits up, and though Twitch tries to explain, Spitfire and Robby demand she leave. Twitch returns to the Decepticon Base, where she attempts to talk her way into becoming part of the ambush.

Spitfire and Robby show up for the Autobot mission — the Autobots are moving [[Mandroid]]'s Cyber Slayer elsewhere due to security concerns. Robby and "Twitch" are left to guard the Cyber Slayer while Optimus's trailer is prepared for transport. Spitfire is unimpressed by the weapon, surprising Robby and Wheeljack and resulting in her having to use the excuse that her memory is still patchy. When she tries to touch the Cyber Slayer but is prevented by its force field, Wheeljack suggests the pair stand guard outside the room. Elsewhere, Twitch, having screwed up her attempt to get on the mission by insulting Starscream, switches tack to antagonizing Skywarp. During the ensuing tussle, she bodyslams Skywarp onto the holographic cube that the Decepticons have been using to plan their ambush. Starscream kicks her out.

At the Autobot Base, Spitfire's frustrated scream results in Robby going to look for some cave water for her. Spitfire takes the opportunity to head back into the room with the Cyber Slayer, only to find Wheeljack is reviewing her test results and had cottoned on to the fact she might not be Twitch after all. Spitfire kills the lights and grabs the Cyber Slayer, using it to offline Wheeljack. Twitch meanwhile arrives outside the Autobot Base and heads inside, unaware Aftermath is tailing her. Warning Optimus, Dot and Elita-1 of the ambush, she heads further in where Robby's found Spitfire flying out with the Cyber Slayer. Twitch is fortunately able to convince Robby of her identity by answering questions. The pair pursue Spitfire and are joined by Optimus and Elita-1 while Dot goes to check on Wheeljack. Outside, Twitch is delayed having to rescue Robby from a plunge to the ground, and heads after Spitfire. Optimus and Elita find themselves facing Nova Storm, Skywarp, and Soundwave. Twitch catches up with Spitfire and is able to use the improved tech from Spitfire's drone form to get the jump on the Chaos Terran. Twitch is able to pair with the Chaos Terran, sending them spinning into a mini-tornado and swapping them back to their correct bodies. Twitch is quickly able to convince Robby that she's herself again, but both Spitfire and the Cyber Slayer are missing. Aftermath and Spitfire, meanwhile, return to the Decepticon Base and present Starscream with the Cyber Slayer.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (6)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (18)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (19)

|c2=
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] (8)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (9)
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] (10)
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (11)
*[[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]] (12)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (13)
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] (14)
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (16)
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]] (17)

|c3=
*[[Alex Malto]] (4)
*[[Robby Malto]] (5)
*[[Dot Malto]] (7)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (1)
*[[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] (2)
*[[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] (3)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (15)

|h5=Others||c5=

}}

==Quotes==
"That ''is'' weird. Your sleeves should be blowing up from all my... emotions, most of which is... love... for my family, especially for you, Bobby."
:—'''Spitfire''' attempts to act natural.

"I'm gonna call you 'Waste of Space Number Two.'"
:—'''Nova Storm''' welcomes the new Chaos Terran.

"I saw you sneak out last night. You're like if an elephant had rotors."
:—'''Aftermath''' on Twitch's stealth skills.

"Who cares about winning? I'm just here to cause some damage."
:—'''Spitfire'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This episode follows directly on from the events of "[[Spitfire (episode)|Spitfire]]", opening as Twitch in Spitfire's body falls to the ground following their fight at the end of that episode.
*The recent breach of the base Optimus mentions is presumably referring to Ravage's incursion into the base in "[[Control Alt Delete]]", when she was hunting for a hard drive.
*Mandroid's Cyber Slayer went unnamed for its appearances in "[[The Last Hope, Part 1]]" and "[[The Last Hope, Part 2]]"

===Real-world references===
*TBD

===Errors===
*Nova Storm's wings are missing as Skywarp goes to throw a punch at Twitch.
*Twitch's mouth moves when Twitch tells Aftermath that "she's really Spitfire", even though Twitch is currently in Spitfire's body.

===Trivia===

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Faux semblants'''" ("False Pretenses")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 27]], 2024

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''As Impostoras'''" ("The Imposters")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 6]], 2024

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Oszustki'''" ("Con women")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 27]], 2024

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Spitfire (episode)

2025-08-02T10:23:43Z

Silverfoil:

{{disambig3|Spitfire}}

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 32
|image=SpitfireEpisodeThumbnail.jpg
|caption=
|prev=Togetherness
|next=The Imposters
|title="Spitfire"
|season=2
|season ep=6
|airdate=[[June 7]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[January 18]], [[2025]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Halima Lucas]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Sheldon Vella]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/O1hRPi5pYWh_xyfog4ze4Xm1ZbZGHyJt/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}
'''Twitch welcomes a new Terran to the family…'''

==Synopsis==
[[Twitch]] gives a rousing speech of encouragement to the fleet of drones, however they begin flying off before she can finish, prompting her to complain to [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]]. Though Wheeljack is proud of the new features he's added, such as hyperspeed and stealth, a number of the drones end up malfunctioning and deactivate. Spying an Embershard, Twitch moves in with the last two remaining drones and snags it, moments before [[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] arrives and advances on her menacingly. She denies all knowledge of an Embershard, so Soundwave sics [[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]] on her and she's soon being pursued by both Ravage and [[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]]. While Twitch struggles with Laserbeak, the containment on the shard breaks and it falls, forming into a new Terran on the way down. Realizing the newborn Terran can't fly, Twitch zooms to the rescue, getting her to scan the last remaining drone. The Terran reformats into a green twin of Twitch and lands safely, allowing Twitch to make introductions.

The pair return to the farm where the rest of the family is training, and Twitch introduces [[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] to everyone. Though some of the family isn't enthusiastic about having a Chaos Terran stay with them, [[Dot Malto|Dot]] says Spitfire can stay. Twitch shows Spitfire around the [[Dugout]], and Spitfire is fascinated by the Embershards which the Maltos have collected so far. Twitch stops her from touching them, and takes her to visit [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]]. The Autobots have an important mission they want Twitch to fly point on. Spitfire immediately believes she should be on the mission instead, leading to an argument, which prompts [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] to invoke the [[Polyhex Protocol]] — the pair must battle for the position on the mission.

An obstacle course has soon been set up. Alex is thrilled to discover that by the rules of the protocol, even he gets to compete. Megatron fires a flare to start the race. [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] is first to be eliminated, getting stuck under the crawl nets. [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] fails to clear the tires when Dot blasts him with water from a hose. [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] likewise fails to clear the rope swing. [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] collapses the overhead bars, also eliminating [[Mo Malto|Mo]] and [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and leaving just Twitch, Spitfire and Alex in the race. They move on to the next obstacle, scaling slippery poles to a zip line. Alex is able to move into the lead, but when his zip line stalls, Twitch successfully passes him. Spitfire, now at the back, severs Alex's line on the way past, and his cries for help stop Twitch short of the finish line. She immediately heads back to catch him when he falls, allowing Spitfire to finish the race. Spitfire is outraged when Optimus pronounces Twitch the winner, having disqualified Spitfire for endangering Alex's life.

The outraged Spitfire grabs Twitch and pulls her into the now-stormy sky, demanding she admit Spitfire won. Twitch fires, but proves unable to hit the faster Spitfire and as they clash, Twitch starts spinning, creating a mini-tornado. Spitfire does the same, but Twitch proves more powerful and comes out on top, demanding Spitfire leave her and the Maltos alone. Spitfire has another trick up her sleeve, pairing with Twitch to gain control of her, but midway through the process, the pair are struck by lightning and fall from the sky. Robby and Nightshade swoop down and catch Twitch, who says the others were right and Spitfire is dangerous.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (9)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (16)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (17)
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (19)

|c2=
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (3)
*[[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]] (4)
*[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] (5)
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (18)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (7)
*[[Mo Malto]] (8)
*[[Dot Malto]] (10)
*[[Alex Malto]] (11)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (1)
*[[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] (6)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (12)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (13)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (14)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (15)

|h5=Others||c5=

}}

==Quotes==
"Another one of those? You can babysit that one."
:—'''Laserbeak''' has no time for new Terrans.

'''Twitch:''' "And Megatron." 
'''Spitfire:''' "Really? That's your name? Do I call you Mega or Tron?" 
'''Megatron:''' "Neither."

"I thought the gauntlet was a life-or-death trial of fire, lasers and mortal combat."
:—'''Optimus Prime'''

"Alex Malto, transform!" ''imitates transformation sound and tears his top layer of clothing off.'' 
"Do you wear that every day?"
:—'''Alex''' and '''Jawbreaker'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Dot recalls their previous experiences with [[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] but rightly says they can't color their impression of Spitfire.

===Transformers references===
*[[Polyhex]] is a location on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] frequently under [[Decepticon]] control.

===Real-world references===
*TBD

===Errors===
*TBD

===Trivia===
*TBD

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Spitfire'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 21]], 2024

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Spitfire'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 6]], 2024

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Spitfire'''" ("Spitfire")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 21]], 2024

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]