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Darkness (episode)

2025-01-29T07:33:26Z

TheFurbit: /* Differences with Galaxy Force */ Sorry, now that I rewatched the scene, hope this makes sense. "Was this fog created from my initialization?"

{{disambig2|the ''Cybertron'' episode|the mysterious energy from the [[2005 IDW continuity]]|Darkness (G1)}}

{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=33
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=34
|title="Darkness"
|japanese=暗黒からの逆襲
|romaji=Ankoku kara no Gyakushū
|translation=Counterattack from the Darkness
|image=Cyb ep33 am i a ghost.jpg
|caption= Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Kazuhisa Sakaguchi]]
|director=[[Atsushi Nakayama]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]], Radix
|airdate=[[August 27]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[September 5]], [[2006]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron is back, and his mysterious dark powers give birth to two new threats!'''

==Synopsis==

[[File:Cyb ep33 dark crumplezone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|For once, Crumplezone actually manages to look menacing.]]

In the sky above [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the deceased [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] has reappeared as an ethereal image, his ghostly body enshrouded by an enigmatic black fog. Even Megatron himself is unaware of what has befallen him, but he impassively descends to the planet's surface as the [[Autobot]]s look on. [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] and the [[Cybertron Defense Team (Cybertron)|Cybertron Defense Team]] follow the spectral Decepticon's descent, and watch as he approaches [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] and the fatally wounded [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]]. As he glides towards his former followers, a lone [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] crests a nearby building and starts firing at him. The creature only succeeds in drawing Megatron's attention, as its shots disappear into the fog surrounding him. The Scrapmetal lunges at Megatron instead, only to wind up being dissolved and absorbed by the mysterious mist. Megatron returns his attention to the fallen Crumplezone, and immerses the wounded Decepticon in his fog, repairing and reformatting him into a powerful new form. While Crumplezone puts his new power to use attacking his old racing rivals Override and [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]], Megatron realizes that the black fog is a product of his [[Armor of Unicron]], which has preserved him after his death—and made him stronger than ever!

Simultaneously, [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] informs [[Vector Prime]] that he has lost contact with the [[Recon Mini-Con Team]], and the elderly Autobot returns to headquarters to investigate. Consulting the security recordings, he discovers that [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] has kidnapped the Mini-Cons, and that the kids leapt through his warp field in pursuit. He informs [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] of this development, but Prime is caught up battling [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] and can do nothing to help.

[[File:Cyb ep33 good kitty.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|And [[Ravage (disambiguation)|Ravage]]s across the [[Continuity|multiverse]] began hissing uncontrollably.]]

The other Autobots, meanwhile, are engaged in battles of their own. While [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] faces off against [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] and his latest (surprisingly effective) "super move", and Crumplezone continues to harass Override, the rest of the heroes are firing upon Megatron, to absolutely no effect. Seeing that the Decepticons have been galvanized by the return of their leader, [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] is determined to take Megatron down, and lunges at him in lion mode. He slashes at the black fog with his [[Cyber Key]]-powered claws, which causes a very unexpected reaction: the fog recedes, and Megatron stands triumphantly before the Autobots, reborn! At Megatron's command, the last remnants of the fog surround Leobreaker, and although the Autobot is able to leap clear, the fog has taken from him what it needs, and coalesces into a dark duplicate of Leobreaker himself! Megatron introduces the dark clone as "[[Nemesis Breaker]]", explaining that he has been created from Leobreaker's own dark side. The two lion 'bots engage in a brief battle, which Megatron then stops so that he can reveal Nemesis Breaker's ultimate power: the ability to combine with Megatron in Dark Claw Mode!

[[File:Cyb ep33 dark claw mode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Giving the phrase "strong-armed" a whole new meaning.]]

At Autobot headquarters, [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] and [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] have joined Vector Prime to try and help him track down the kids and Mini-Cons. Scattorshot complains about the fact that he gave [[Coby Hansen|Coby]] an Autobot communicator, and yet the boy is not using it. Little does Scattorshot realize, however, that using the communicator is paramount in Coby's mind—he's just having trouble getting his hands on it, as it and the kids are all floating around in zero gravity in [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s hideout!

Back on Cybertron, Optimus Prime breaks off his fight with Scourge and separates from [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] so that he and Leobreaker can merge into Savage Claw Mode to battle Megatron and Nemesis Breaker. After a brief comedy interlude in which Hot Shot finally takes out the reborn Crumplezone (who, as it turns out, really isn't any tougher than he was before), the two leaders get down to business, and their Cyber Key-powered attacks collide in an explosion so indescribably massive that it can be seen from space. When Optimus comes to afterwards, he discovers that Megatron and the Decepticons have disappeared. Wing Saber is quick to locate the villains from the air: they have used the cover of the explosion to make a break for the [[Omega Lock]]! The Autobots transform and immediately give chase, and the race is on!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Vector Prime]] (1)
*[[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (2)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (7)
*[[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (8)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (9)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (10)
*[[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] (11)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (14)
*[[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] (16)
*[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (17)
*[[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (18)
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (19)
*[[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (23)
*[[Six-Speed (Cybertron)|Six-Speed]] (24)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (26)
*[[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (28)

|c2=
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (4)
*[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (5)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (6)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (12)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (13)
*[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (15)
*[[Nemesis Breaker]] (27)

|c3=
*[[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] (20)
*[[Bud Hansen]] (21)
*[[Coby Hansen]] (22)

|c4=
*[[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] (14)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (25)
*[[Primus]] (29)

}}

==Quotes==

"Crumplezone! Hang in there, big guy! We haven't even learned how to play the violin! Waaaaaaah!"
:—'''Ransack''' on Crumplezone's death.

"Crumplezone! Oh, the horror! Oh, JEEZ! That's gotta hurt! Oh, man! WOW! Where did THOSE come from? The humanity of it all!"
:—'''Ransack''' on Crumplezone's rebirth.

"Hey Ransack! How's it going, little buddy?" 
"F-f-fine. How 'bout you?" 
"Are you kiddin'? I never felt ''better''."
:—The reborn '''Crumplezone''''s first words to '''Ransack'''

"THAT DECEPTI-CAT IS GONNA GET NEUTERED!"
:—'''Leobreaker''' on his doppelganger.

"Enough with the comic relief!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' on Ransack and Crumplezone!

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
*''Galaxy Force'' includes a "previously on" segment summarizing the events of "[[Balance]]".
*In ''Galaxy Force'', the black fog is implied to be a production of Primus' Spark. ''Cybertron'' attempts to explain it as the "shadow spark" of Unicron, the power of the [[Armor of Unicron]] that Megatron wears.
*As Leobreaker charges to attack the spectral visage of Megatron, Snarl, in ''Cybertron'', reminds Leobreaker to use his Cyber Key power-up first, whereas in ''Galaxy Force'' he takes a much less reckless approach and instead warns his fellow animal-bot that it is too dangerous to engage Megatron, since they have no idea what they're dealing with.
*In ''Galaxy Force'', Megatron notes that one of Leobreaker's dark thoughts from which Nemesis Breaker was created is his resentment of Optimus Prime for ignoring their combination and favoring Wing Saber instead. ''Cybertron'' omits this specific point.
*In ''Cybertron'', Vector Prime notes that Starscream's island base on Earth has been "cleared out". In ''Galaxy Force'', the island is said to have actually collapsed.

===Animation errors===
*As Megatron's "ghost" descends on Cybertron at the beginning of the episode, Override and Scattorshot transform and head towards him. However, in the next scene, Override is seen with Hot Shot and Red Alert instead.
*Implausible viewpoints: The "security footage" reviewed by Vector Prime is just the final moments of [[Balance|the previous episode]], which leads to some camera placement issues.
*A small animation cheat occurs as Ransack and the newly minted Dark Crumplezone attack Hot Shot and Override. When the partners in grime charge the Autobots, they're in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], but when Dark Crumplezone activates his "Dark Bazooka" attack, he's in [[robot mode]]! After the Autobots are blown into the distance, Ransack is also shown in robot mode, despite never being shown to transform. Not necessarily an error, but certainly a bit of laziness here.
*Speaking of bizarre animation, when Crumplezone sneers "What's the matter, Override?", a panel in his exhaust port clips in and out of the scene, making it seem like he's literally speaking through his rear!

===Transformers references===
*Wing Saber says that Megatron is making for the Omega Lock "like a 'bot outta [[Chaar]]"!
*[[Starscream (G1)|Another]] [[Rampage (BW)|indestructible]] spark?

===Real-world references===
*Of course, Wing Saber's above mentioned quote also paraphrases the common turn of phrase, "like a bat out of hell".
*When chasing Override and Hot Shot, Crumplezone's taunt, "Override, come out and play-ay!" is a clear reference to Luther's taunt, "Warriors, come out to play-ay!" from ''{{w|The Warriors (film)|The Warriors}}''.

===Trivia===
*This episode did not premiere until nearly five months after the previous one. By the time "Darkness" was finally aired, ''Cybertron'' had been relegated to the unenviable 6am "death slot" on [[Cartoon Network]], where new episodes would premiere every weekday morning for the remainder of the month, bringing the series to a conclusion nearly a year after its Japanese broadcast ended.
*This episode would later be combined with "[[United (episode)|United]]", "[[Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron]]" and "[[Balance]]" to create the TV "movie" special, "[[Primus Unleashed (TV special)|Primus Unleashed]]".
*After reformatting Crumplezone, Megatron notes that he has remade him in his own image. This may possibly be the source of his ultimate goal in "[[End]]".
*While he is introduced a bit late in the game, more than halfway through the series, Nemesis Breaker, or something like him, must have been planned from the beginning, as evidenced by the combination ports in Megatron's arms.
*Despite being a [[redeco]] of Leobreaker, Nemesis Breaker has all-new stock footage sequences for combining with Megatron and activating Dark Claw Mode's Cyber Key power.
*Keeping up the whole "dark mirror" angle with Nemesis Breaker, the evil lion's transformation into arm mode is the reverse of Leobreaker's, first folding up his legs, detaching his forearms one at a time, then folding up his upper body, retracting his robot head, and finally attaching the new fist to the folded-up legs (the only part of the transformation similar to Leobreaker, for obvious reasons). Nemesis Breaker also replaces Megatron's left arm, as opposed to Leobreaker replacing Optimus' right arm. The camera angles for the transformation sequence are even switched around.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 09 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Mortal Combat

2025-01-29T07:16:52Z

TheFurbit: /* Continuity notes */ How is it more true to his character? Micron Legend Megatron wasn't pure evil. And his words in the JPN dub were unnecessarily philosophical.

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=52
|prev=Origin
|next=Cybertron City (episode)
|title="Mortal Combat"
|japanese=死闘
|romaji=Shitō
|translation=Death Match
|image=Armada 52 - Prime hangon to Galvatron.jpg
|caption=Fatality!
|production code=TF: A-52
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Ryō Motohira]]
|englishadaptation=[[Terry Klassen]]
|director=[[Hidehito Ueda]], [[Mitsuru Kawasaki]] (asst. dir.), [[Munetaka Abe]] (animation dir.)
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[October 3]], [[2003]] (English, United Kingdom) [[December 12]], [[2003]] (English, United States) [[December 26]], [[2003]] (Japanese)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]
}}
'''Optimus and Galvatron wage their final brutal battle, while the rest of the Transformers deal with Unicron.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Unicron]] is no longer functional, his body lying dormant in space. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] lets the assembled armies return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to begin the rebuilding.

[[File:MortalCombat galvatron sacrifice.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left]]
Inside of Unicron, [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] holds onto the idea that he can still become the sole ruler of the universe. Now that Unicron is gone, it's left to [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and Galvatron to finish the war. Optimus and the kids try to argue that now that the two armies are now united, there's no need to continue the fight. Still, Galvatron reminds his foe that the hatred left over from an unfinished war would repower Unicron.

On Cybertron, [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] alerts the other that Unicron is in motion again. Hot Shot decides to go to Unicron to retrieve Optimus Prime, but [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] takes Hot Shot's place. [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] follows Jetfire.

Optimus says goodbye to the children; they don't want to go, but Prime convinces them that he and Galvatron must have their final battle. After throwing away the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]—since this isn't a battle between Autobots and Decepticons, but Optimus' vision for peace against Galvatron's lust for conflict— Prime starts the fight with some gunfire and a knee to Galvatron's face. When Galvatron gets up, he and Prime blast their firepower at each other.

Jetfire and Cyclonus pick up the kids outside Unicron and bring them back to Cybertron. The kids report what the two leaders are doing, and it seems Unicron isn't dead either. Under heavy pressure, Hot Shot orders the attack against Unicron to be resumed, with special care taken not to harm the leaders.

Inside, Optimus Prime and Galvatron continue to rumble. Prime throws one of his wheels directly into Galvatron's primary cannon. The resulting explosion blasts Galvatron through a wall, but the ferocity of the combat only amuses the Decepticon. Unicron's words echo in Prime's mind. Galvatron uses his extending antlers to toss Prime around. Prime breaks off the blades and uses them against his rival, but Galvatron scores a critical hit through Optimus with his hidden wrist blade.

[[File:Mortal Combat Hot Shot Jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|When we come back, we'll be terrible cel-shaded CGI!]]
The [[Transformer]]s buzz around Unicron, blasting him through his trenches. [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] notices that a large, growing black hole has appeared on Unicron's surface during the combat.

Optimus Prime stands up, refusing to give up the fight. Decompression sends the warriors outside of Unicron onto his external surface. The Autobot and Decepticon forces notice this, but Optimus instructs Hot Shot to lead the others into continuing the assault on Unicron while he and Galvatron continue to duel. Galvatron acquires a nearby pipe to use as a battle staff, but Optimus displays amazing agility and stands on the staff, prancing along it to kick Galvatron in the face. While Galvatron is still stunned, Optimus hefts his foe and cramps Galvatron's midsection, but the metal pipe gets shoved down Prime's back in the process.

[[File:Unicron-behind-a-planet-Armada.jpg|thumb|left]]
The two warriors break for a moment, and Galvatron admits that he enjoyed the thrill of the battle despite losing it. The moment of peace between the two is disturbed by Unicron transforming into his planet mode. Prime is stuck holding onto Galvatron as the two get sucked toward Unicron's maw. Determined to see only one winner of the war (even if it isn't him), Galvatron instructs Prime to let him fall. Prime refuses, so Galvatron cuts himself loose and free-falls into oblivion. As soon as Galvatron is absorbed, Unicron vanishes. Left floating in space, Optimus decides he's unworthy of the Matrix.

Sometime later, Hot Shot and Jetfire return the kids to Earth. They agree that they've learned much from each other since their first encounter. [[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]], [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]], and [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] start to cry. Alexis gazes down at her pendant that contains the [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] stone that [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] gave her, sadly smiling as if remembering him. Rad asks what happened to Optimus, but Hot Shot assures him that Optimus will be all right, wherever he is. After the Autobots and Mini-Cons leave to rebuild Cybertron, Optimus Prime narrates the closing moments. With the war over, and the former hatred between the Autobot and Decepticon factions no more, a new era can begin for the Transformers. But, hidden behind a distant planet, Unicron endures.

[['Til all are one|'Til all are]] [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|undone.]]
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (2)
* [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] (3)
* [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (6)
* [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (13)
* [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (14)
* [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (15)
* [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]] (16)
* [[Rhinox (Armada)|Rhinox]] (24)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (5)
* [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (17)
* [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (18)
* [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] (19)
* [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] (23)

|c3=
* [[Rad White|Rad]] (7)
* [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] (8)
* [[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] (9)
* [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (10)
* [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (11)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[Street Action Mini-Con Team]] (12)
*[[Race Mini-Con Team]] (20)
*[[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Mini-Con Team]] (21)
*[[Space Mini-Con Team]] (22)

|h5=Other|c5=
* [[Unicron]] (1)
}}

==Quotes==
"This probably isn't the time to ask, but when are we gonna eat, you guys?" 
"Zip it, Fred, or I'll give you my fist to chew on!" 
:—'''Fred''' and '''Billy'''

"Your mindless ambitions are fueled only by your greed. You'll stop at nothing to get what you want. I should have let Unicron destroy you!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' to Galvatron

"Why can't we all just get along?!"
:—'''Fred'''

"Children, the future is yours!" 
"Good riddance, humans!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Galvatron''' bid farewell to the kids in their unique ways.

"Don't act surprised. This is exactly what you wanted. And I fight you not as the leader of the Autobots, but as the leader of ''all'' Transformers!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' tosses aside his Matrix of Leadership before attacking Galvatron.

"Farewell, Optimus Prime. Victory is all yours. Now go look after your men, they need you!"
:—'''Galvatron's''' last words until ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''

"The war between the Autobots and the Decepticons has come to an end, and without the hatred between the two sides, there was no evil to feed Unicron, and he became powerless. Both Unicron and Megatron scattered into the far reaches of the universe. As for me, my purpose has been served. Cybertron is safe and Transformers live in peace with the Mini-Cons. So the next time you look out into space and see a peaceful star far, far away, it just might be Cybertron. TRANSFORM!"
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' last words until ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''

{{--}}

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Legends of the Microns''===
* The opening is silent in ''Legends of the Microns'' until Hot Shot speaks. Meanwhile, ''Armada'' has [[Jim Conrad]] narrate the opening, recapping the last episode's events of how the union managed to neutralize Unicron, but an old battle is about to begin.
* Hot Shot hopes that Optimus and Galvatron will get out of Unicron safely in ''Armada'', and Scavenger suggests they shouldn't worry too much since they can handle themselves. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Hot Shots asks if they escaped Unicron. Scavenger imagines those two can handle themselves but is unsure what to do now. Hot Shot then says that if taking down Unicron happened earlier, they would retrieve them, but figured they need a break in ''Legends of the Microns'', but Armada only has him say they'll meet them back on Cybertron.
* Optimus and Galvatron's conversation before they clash is ''essentially'' the same in both dubs, but the points made are almost entirely different. ''Armada'' noticeably throws in being the ruler of the universe, whereas ''Legends of the Microns'' is about trying to embrace your nature.
** ''Legends of the Microns'' has Galvatron ask Optimus what their long struggle's purpose was and whether it was to only awaken Unicron before claiming they fought each other to preserve their true sense of selves and not to be Unicron's puppets. The kids—particularly Fred—are confused about this talk about maintaining a true sense of self. Galvatron reminds them he only joined forces with Optimus to take down Unicron, and now that he is defeated, there is no reason to continue the alliance. Alexis then asks why Starscream sacrificed himself, to which Galvatron also asks why, and Alexis replies with how it was to unite all Transformers. Galvatron continues that even if the Decepticons and Autobots join hands, he can never reconcile the differences between him and Optimus, causing the latter to ask if the battle with Unicron was pointless. Galvatron then says the battle itself wasn't pointless, but it can only have meaning if the party with justice must gain victory. Optimus replies with his own, saying that Unicron will only grow stronger as long as evil resides in the Transformers' hearts, and that's what the battle has wrought. The kids agree with Optimus, to which Galvatron asks if that's what he truly believes and mentions that he couldn't answer Sideways' question before asking again if Optimus' hatred of him was a motivator to fight all this time. When Optimus asks who is, Galvatron replies with "That again" before saying he wants to seek Optimus' true feelings as a Transformer.
** ''Armada'' makes Galvatron say that if they don't continue their battle, all their fighting has been pointless before making a very unwanted claim of how the universe can have only one ruler. The kids respond with annoyance except for Fred and Billy, with the former asking when they're gonna eat and the latter saying that he would give him his fist to chew on. Galvatron says it's now time to deal with the other obstacle before Alexis jumps in, reminding him of why Starscream sacrificed himself, to which Galvatron answers that Starscream was a fool before Alexis says that he wanted everyone to leave in peace. Galvatron tells the kids to understand the simple concept of only one person ruling the universe before claiming that it's going to be him, then Optimus asks if battling Unicron was just a means to an end. Galvatron confirms this and says he used him to further his ambitions, asking if it's wrong to think highly of yourself, to which Optimus says yes and continues that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Then, in a bit of an out-of-character moment, he claims that he should've let Unicron destroy Galvatron. Galvatron says that this conversation is interesting, but Optimus fails to comprehend his own argument before reminding him of what Unicron said about their dilemma and asks if Optimus is either oppressing his hatred of him or actually likes him. Once Optimus reintroduces himself, Galvatron replies that he never changes and says Prime can deny his hatred all he wants, but he knows the real truth in his heart.
* When Unicron starts to move, Hot Shot suggests it's maybe better if they wait until Optimus gets back to figure out what to do, then later says no to Red Alert's suggestion that this is the best opportunity to retrieve him and the kids and that everyone should stay here and be on the lookout in ''Armada''. ''Legends of the Microns'' is mostly the same, but Hot Shot asks if Optimus, Galvatron, and the kids are still inside Unicron, then when responding to Red Alert's suggestion, mentions that the fleet's on standby. He then asks what the chances of Unicron attacking are, and if anything does happen, he can always count on Jetfire to take charge.
* Jetfire speaks in a lot more of a commanding tone when suggesting that he goes and retrieves everyone on Unicron in ''Armada'' compared to ''Legends of the Microns''. When Jetfire leaves, and Cyclonus catches up with him, ''Armada'' plays the [[Theme song|theme song]] whereas no music is present in ''Legends of the Microns''.
[[File:Mortal Combat animation changes.jpg|thumb|340px|Animation changes between ''Armada'' (left) and ''Legends of the Microns'' screencaps (right).]]
* The kids' departure from Optimus and Galvatron brings in more differences, yet still being ''somewhat'' the same thing in between dubs:
** Before pointing out the differences between the dialogue, there are some surprising animation shot changes between versions.
*** When Optimus says the children's names before his speech, ''Armada'' has an exclusive pan of the kids. ''Legends of the Microns'' instead uses a later shot of Optimus looking down on the kids during this sequence (see right).
*** After Optimus tells the Mini-Cons to look after the kids, High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock's shot are drawn differently in each version, with the Japanese dub swapping places between High Wire and Grindor to provide more consistency on who is where (see right).
** ''Armada'' has Galvatron ask the kids to step aside since he and Optimus have "business" to take care of, then Carlos says they aren't going anywhere, and Billy confidently says Optimus isn't going to fight. Galvatron mockingly replies that Optimus will let himself get obliterated before the latter thanks the kids for helping the Autobots save the Mini-Cons. Optimus then assures Galvatron is right about ending hate in the universe and that he must now finish what he started. Sureshock asks Optimus why he should fight after he entrusts them with the children, with the latter then saying it's the only way to achieve peace. Rad tells him he shouldn't let Galvatron suck him into this but later realizes Optimus isn't going to change. He then asks if they'll see each other again soon, and Optimus assures him that they will, and he'll always remember him. Optimus and Galvatron then bid the kids farewell, as quoted above.
** In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron asks the kids to leave Unicron since this is his and Optimus' fight, with Carlos asking why he still can't understand what they are saying and Billy reaffirming that there's no need to fight. Galvatron says it doesn't look like Optimus believes that before the latter says to the kids that they would've never been able to defeat Unicron without their help, but apologizes for going to fight with Galvatron and that he's still a regular Transformer when one removes the "Supreme Commander" title from him. Optimus trusts the Mini-Cons to take care of the children and assures them that they all must rely on their strength to carry on, which makes Rad ask if he is going to fight. Rad thanks Optimus for everything that has happened, and the latter assures vice versa and that he wouldn't be standing here today without Rad. High Wire says all of the kids' names whenever his eyes glow, and Optimus tells them farewell and to head toward the future. Galvatron is silent here.
* Galvatron talks about being only with Optimus in ''Armada'', to which Optimus says that the time of speeches is over and it's time to end their quarrel, then later says Galvatron shouldn't be surprised and that this is what he wants before throwing the Matrix out. ''Legends of the Microns'' has Galvatron asking Optimus what's wrong, with Prime replying that he was right, which is why they'll fight as Transformers from this point onward.
* After tossing the Matrix before his final battle against Galvatron, Optimus says that he's fighting him not as a Commander "but as a Transformer called Optimus Prime!"
* After Optimus shoots at Galvatron, he comments on how he was the first one to attack in ''Legends of the Microns'', whereas ''Armada'' has him say that Optimus is not superior to him.
* When Cyclonus stops shooting at Unicron, he says he just got carried away in ''Armada'' whereas ''Legends of the Microns'' has him say, "I guess so..." Jetfire's reaction is also changed from him telling Cyclonus to knock it off in the English dub, but immediately remarks of Optimus and the others being inside Unicron in Japanese.
* When Jetfire notices the kids coming out of Unicron, ''Armada'' has Rad sounding shocked about the teleportation he just witnessed, but ''Legends of the Microns'' has him silent and instead has Jetfire point out the kids.
* The union's discussion back at the [[Axalon (Armada)|Axalon]] is subtly different between versions:
** ''Legends of the Microns'' has Hoist ask how they are supposed to protect space with Unicron floating around, which Scavenger then asks what they are going to do since he's just there defenseless. Wheeljack asks Hot Shot what's the purpose of uniting the Transformers race before encouraging him to think, and then Demolishor reminds everyone that Galvatron is still inside Unicron. Side Swipe reminds everyone that Optimus is there too, to which Blurr responds that the two leaders are focusing intently on their duel, but he can't say why. Hot Shot then concludes that this might be their only chance to destroy Unicron, and even if Optimus is still inside, they must carry out the attack.
** ''Armada'' has Hoist suggest that they should wait for Jetfire and the kids to return before they do anything, with Scavenger agreeing. Wheeljack suggests to Hot Shot they should commence an assault now before Demolishor and Sideswipe remind him that the two leaders are still inside Unicron and they might get hit. Blurr says that it might be best for Optimus to return first, and he doesn't think they have a choice, and then Hot Shot evaluates that Unicron can't be fully recovered, nor Optimus and Galvatron should get hurt before he announces the assault.
* ''Legends of the Microns'' has Hot Shot's announcement longer than ''Armada'', which also focuses more on Optimus and Galvatron being inside than the actual attack.
* After Galvatron gets thrown off course due to his blaster getting clogged, ''Armada'' has Galvatron saying he didn't expect Optimus to defend himself, but he's glad that he is his old self again, and all of this reminds him of the good old days. His laugh during this also has an echo effect. Meanwhile, in ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron says this is what he expects from a top-class Transformer who fights and then remarks on how fun this is.
* Unicron's words hovering over Optimus gives the same intent in both dubs, but like with "[[Origin]]," there's no mention of Optimus being like Galvatron if he doesn't have the Matrix in ''Armada'' and instead, Unicron talks about he loves the smell of battle.
[[File:Mortal Combat ML Exclusive Shot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|An exclusive ''Legends of the Microns'' shot—too disturbing for the kids?]]
* When the scene cuts back to their duel, ''Legends of the Microns'' adds a short clip where Galvatron rips out his destroyed cannon to throw it at Optimus before striking him with his horns (see right). ''Armada'' only shows Optimus blocking a seemingly random object thrown at him.
* Where High Wire says that Sideways was eliminated and Unicron is only in a dormant state in ''Armada'', ''Legends of the Microns'' has him say that defeating Sideways didn't kill off Unicron. In the same shot, Carlos asks what High Wire means in ''Legends of the Microns'', but says, "Mind saying that in English?" in Armada.
* Alexis in ''Armada'' makes it so that the hole in Unicron's armor seemingly opens itself, making Billy's response awkward. Rad also wonders if it's a telltale sign that Optimus is okay. ''Legends of the Microns'' has Alexis say the union managed to punch a hole in Unicron's armor, so Billy getting excited is more appropriate here, and Rad asks if Optimus is alright with no relation to the hole.
* Wheeljack says they are about to launch the second wave in ''Armada'', but tells the ''attack'' wave company to follow him ''Legends of the Microns''.
* Galvatron tells Optimus that he demands satisfaction since it can't end anti-climatically in ''Armada'', while ''Legends of the Microns'' has him ask if that's all he got and if this is how their grudge is going to end after thousands of years. Optimus says, "End?" before chuckling in ''Legends of the Microns'', whereas ''Armada'' has him say that he wishes he could accommodate Galvatron. Galvatron then tells Optimus to get up so he can destroy him, with the latter replying to not count on it''Armada''. ''Legends of the Microns'' simply has Galvatron telling Optimus to get up, and the latter says this isn't over yet.
* Galvatron says, "That's the enemy I've come to know!" after Optimus gets up in ''Legends of the Microns'', whereas ''Armada'' has him say, "That's more like it, Prime!"
* Galvatron replies to his men about beating Unicron to forget about him and that his power will be his, then reminds Optimus about their battle in ''Armada''. ''Legends of the Microns'' has him say that Unicron is nothing but scrap metal now, and his excitement has only just begun. Additionally, Optimus says to Hot Shot he'll take care of Galvatron and tells him and everyone to attack Unicron with everything they got in the English dub. In contrast, he tells Hot Shot to leave him and Galvatron alone in the Japanese dub, and from this point onward, Hot Shot is in command.
* Hot Shot says Optimus' name in ''Legends of the Microns'' but says "No problem," in ''Armada'' in a tired tone.
* ''Armada'' uses the theme song's insert trance version for the remainder of Optimus and Galvatron's fight and plays right when Hot Shot commands everyone to attack. ''Legends of the Microns'' instead uses "[[The Transformers Legends of the Microns: Sound of Evolution Vol. 2|Theme of Megatron - Attack by Villains]]" and plays it when Unicron is transforming.
* When the kids notice the Matrix floating in space, Jetfire asks what Rad just said in ''Legends of the Microns'', but doesn't say anything in ''Armada''. Additionally ''Armada'' has Alexis asking why he would take it off, with Carlos saying that's too freaky, followed by Billy saying there has to be a reason. Then Fred suggests that maybe there's something Optimus is not telling them. ''Legends of the Microns'' moves Alexis' line of why Optimus would take the Matrix off to Carlos; Billy says he has no idea, and Fred responds in fear, asking if this means Optimus is not the commander anymore.
* The shot of Optimus panting was redrawn in ''Legends of the Microns'' to have more accurate shading and proportions (see above).
* Once again, Optimus and Galvatron's conversation after they fought is a lot different between dubs, especially with Optimus:
** In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron tells Optimus that he is incredibly strong and that while he can't go on due to him falling apart, the battle was fun. Optimus then agrees despite him hating to admit it, followed by Galvatron saying as long as he knows how to fight, they are both the same, and Transformers love to fight overall. Optimus agrees with this, too, and says we're forged with a warrior's instincts, but he seeks the light beyond the combat and says that justice is indeed obtained by winning in the end, which he tried to deny before the fight. Galvatron responds in delight to what Optimus just said but tells him never to forget that justice can only be obtained through the hardships of battle.
** ''Armada'' has Galvatron say that this is the old Optimus he used to know, and follows that he has nothing left to offer and Optimus won fair and square, but the latter thinks they should call it a draw. Galvatron remarks how they went at it after all these years of being evenly matched and admits he enjoyed every nanosecond of it. Optimus apologizes that he can never admit to a joined battle, but it was necessary to remain at peace even if he might never see that day and hopes whoever survives this will remove evil from the universe. Galvatron then laughs and says that Optimus is right about never surviving beyond today, which means that he would now be the supreme commander.
* Near the end, where Optimus refuses to let go of Galvatron from being sucked into Unicron, Galvatron practically yells at Optimus to let go so Unicron will die from the lack of evil and to watch over the others after slicing his tread in ''Armada''. ''Legends of the Microns'' goes philosophical as Galvatron observes that both might've been looking for the same thing despite their differences, and Optimus is the light while he represents the dark. On slicing his tread, Galvatron adds that even in the next generation/world, Prime is destined to be his rival, darkness will exist as long as there's light, and not forget that evil is eternal. Optimus yells his rival's name after Galvatron disappears into Unicron in ''Armada'', but whispers "Megatron" in ''Legends of the Microns''.
* Optimus not wanting the Matrix is the same in both versions, but ''Legends of the Microns'' also has him say that even now, he's still not worthy of carrying it, which better concludes his arc of being worthy of the Matrix, starting with "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
* The final moments with the Transformers and children is subtly different in the dubs, but nothing too major, unlike the past examples:
* ''Legends of the Microns'' has Hot Shot say that he now believes they'll always be comrades no matter what happens, with Carlos agreeing and saying it doesn't matter if they're on Earth or Cybertron, and Jetfire agrees with that. He then says that they learned lessons from the kids, with Alexis saying the kids themselves learned a lot from them too. Fred asks if everyone is going to rebuild Cybertron, and Hot Shot says yes, and it doesn't matter if it's the Autobots, Decepticons, or Mini-Cons, since they all want to build a new Transformer world. Billy responds that they'll also try making Earth the most peaceful planet in the universe, and After disjointing from Perceptor, High Wire says goodbye and thank you. Alexis tells Sureshock that she is truly grateful, and Carlos then says he's not going to cry about the departure along with Fred, with Billy telling them to knock it off since they already are and Fred snapping back that he's not. Rad then asks about Optimus, with Hot Shot stating not to worry and that even without the Matrix, he'll always be their commander, with Jetfire in agreement. Rad then gives his final monologue, saying their real adventure has just begun.
* In ''Armada'', Hot Shot says they will never forget the kids, and Carlos replies with vice versa. Jetfire then thanks the kids for all they taught them, with Alexis saying they learned a lot from them. Fred asks Hot Shot and Jetfire to stop by Earth if they are ever in the Solar System, which the former promises but says it might be a long time to come since Cybertron is being rebuilt and with the war being over, with Billy happily stating that the Autobots and Decepticons are finally getting along. High Wire tells the kids that they'll always be in the Mini-Cons' memory, with Rad saying vice versa and Alexis saying they'll never forget them. When Carlos is holding back from crying, he says this is harder than he thought, and when Billy points out that they are balling like babies, Fred points out that he's crying too. When Rad asks about Optimus, Hot Shot says he's not sure where Prime is but is sure he's out there somewhere, with Jetfire then stating he's right here in all of their hearts. Rad agrees and gives his final monologue of Optimus always being a part of them no matter where they are or go.
** When the kids get dropped off by Hot Shot and Jetfire, and they thank them for it, the shot of them talking is redrawn in ''Legends of the Microns'' to have more posing than ''Armada''.
* Optimus's ending narration in ''Armada'' is the aftermath of Unicron's defeat, saying that Unicron has become powerless with the war over, and he and Galvatron have scattered across the universe. Optimus states that he's served his purpose now that Cybertron is safe and the Transformers live in peace with the Mini-Cons and mentions that if you see a peaceful star far away, it might be Cybertron. ''Legends of the Microns'' gives Optimus a more sincere narration that flows more with Unicron feeding off of hatred, with him talking about how even a battle fought for justice will always produce a degree of hate. However, to prevent Unicron's revival, you must have faith and a heart that ever seeks justice, and as long as you believe in that, anyone can become your comrade.

===Translation errors===
* After tossing out the Matrix before his final battle to the death against Galvatron, Optimus says, "I fight you not as the leader of the Autobots, but as the leader of all Transformers!" This uncharacteristic ego is totally at odds with Prime's stated motivations otherwise in the series; lo and behold, the original Japanese isn't him claiming sovereignty over his entire species, but rather stating that he's simply fighting Megatron as an individual Transformer, not as the Autobot commander.
* After the hole appears on Unicron's surface, Hot Shot orders the fleet, "It's time to shift into stealth mode!" They obviously do not do this, not remotely in any sense. In the original line, Hot Shot is simply ordering everyone to attack Unicron's moving parts.
* Jetfire tells Hot Shot, "Unicron's headed back to Cybertron!" This does not appear to be the case at all. In the original line, Jetfire correctly observes that Unicron is changing to his planet mode.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:ArmadaRhinoxTV.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"We never had any evil gods on prehistoric Earth."]]
* Optimus's busted truck wheel shrinks down considerably to fit inside Galvatron's cannon to jam it.
* There's an awkward silence when High Wire's eyes start glowing up, and he's supposed to talk when that happens. ''Legends of the Microns'' has High Wire say each kid's name when his eyes glow, so this error gets fixed.
* When Tidal Wave and his fleet show up to attack Unicron, he looks off-model and lacks detail(Notice the missing canons). ''Legends of the Microns'' entirely redraws him with a more accurate model and makes his animation less jagged (see above).
* When Hot Shot yells "Attack!" as Unicron transforms back into planet mode, the animation shows the Transformer fleet ''escaping'' (which would make sense), suggesting Hot Shot's line was a scripting error. ''Legends of the Microns'' has him say Optimus' name.
* Rhinox is colored like his original [[Rhinox (BW)/toys#TM1|Transmetal toy]] instead of his ''Armada'' toy.

===Continuity notes===
[[File:Armada 52 - Prime and no Matrix.jpg|thumb|How many Autobot [[insignia]]s does he have...?]]
* Does it seem like Alexis's hair grows slightly longer during the Unicron Battles?
* According to the ''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'', Optimus and Galvatron's final battle is settling their differences and answering the questions Sideways asked in the previous episode.
* Rhinox makes his only physical debut in the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]. [[Ask Vector Prime]] revealed in [[2015]] that Rhinox perished during the battle; Vector Prime also revealed that poor [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]]'s upgrades were left incomplete due to Rhinox's death.
* This episode is the first time in the series that characters bleed upon receiving damage. As Optimus and Galvatron duel, parts of Unicron's insides take damage, with slightly yellowish-white liquid pouring out. Later, as the Decepticon leader rips a pipe from Unicron's armor to use as a weapon, bright red liquid pours out from where the pipe used to be. Additionally, when Galvatron slices Prime's chest with his wrist blade, his wound is briefly highlighted with bright red.
* In the second-to-last shot, Prime returns to his original colors but hasn't reclaimed the Matrix, as his Matrix compartment is visibly empty during his transformation.
* This episode marks the last time [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]], [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]], [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]]—if you don't think [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' is the same one—[[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]], and [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] appear in the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]].
** This also marks the last time Billy and Fred appear in the Unicron Trilogy, as they don't return in ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' nor ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]''{{'}}s final episode. The reason is most likely because, according to the ''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'', the team never planned on making them staple cast members, and they only lasted this long since the team never got around to writing them out.
* Even with Galvatron sacrificing himself to remove evil from the universe, Unicron survived, marking the gateway to ''Energon''.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Since being deactivated, Unicron automatically reverts to planet mode as a defense mechanism.
** Grindor can fly in skateboard mode; "[[Base]]" and "[[Comrade]]" previously alluded to this ability.
** The Mini-Con super weapons seem able to fly, which seems to be a common feature among Mini-Con super weapons/Powerlinxed forms, as seen with the [[Magnawing]] in ''[[Linkage (comic)|Linkage]]'', the [[Energon Saber]] in ''Energon'', and the [[Umbral Blaster]] in the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron: Balancing Act|Cybertron]]'' comic.
** The Mini-Cons tap into the [[Linkage (dimension)|Linkage dimension]] to phase them and the kids through Unicron's armor.
** Galvatron hasn't used his antlers to attack anyone since he went by the name "Megatron" in "[[Swoop (episode)|Swoop]]." Additionally, while having been shown to be able to use them to create electrical currents, this is the first time he's used them to shock his opponent.
** Galvatron uses his wrist blade for the first and last time in this episode, using it twice.
** Optimus has ninja-like reflexes and can tip-toe on thin pipes—''what a badass.''
** Unicron can warp.

===Continuity errors===
* During the end of their duel, Galvatron strikes a metal pipe in Optimus's back, who tries to pull it out unsuccessfully in a later shot, after which the pipe completely disappears.

===Transformers references===
* [[Rhinox (Armada)|Rhinox]] is visible in the hangar during the raid against Unicron. Because of the unanticipated success of ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', he and the other ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' remolds were released, but they were unable to receive larger roles in [[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|the show]].

===Real-world references===
* The Autobot/Decepticon fighters flying and firing down Unicron's trenches are an obvious nod to ''{{w|Star Wars (film)|Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope}}'s'' [[Death Star]] trench run.

===Trivia===
[[File:Tf ml 01 52 comparison title card.jpg|upright=1.0|thumb|Time for kanji quiz, kids!]]
* The English dub of "Mortal Combat" first aired in the United Kingdom. It aired in the United States on [[December 12]], 2003.
* Unlike the previous 51 episodes, the title card in this episode's Japanese airing didn't have the usual alternate-reading {{w|furigana}} over the {{w|kanji}} title as seen on the right.
* According to the ''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'':
** When the team finished making this episode, they all felt a sense of completion, like when Optimus sacrificed himself in "Crisis," and felt this series expanded the Transformers brand into a new direction, with it being slightly different from past iterations. The team also hopes that viewers can think about what they made.
** Optimus and Galvatron's final battle is perhaps the show's crowning achievement, nothing short of spectacular. ''And how!''
*** The fact that Optimus fights Galvatron with his fists and ingenuity, while Galvatron uses all the weapons at his disposal and his trump card knife proves Prime is the superior fighter.
** [[Munetaka Abe]]'s primary concern when animating was how to convey emotion with Optimus before the fight since he only has eyes, unlike Galvatron. Abe was also surprised when he heard about Optimus throwing the Matrix away in this episode.
** [[Hidehito Ueda]] thinks "trust" is the keyword of this series, so he wanted Optimus's last message in the episode to convey that and use it as a settlement for not only what Optimus endured throughout the show but what the team experienced while making it.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:* ''Title:'' "'''Unicrons Ende'''" ("Unicron's End")
:* ''Original airdate:'' [[January 16|16 January]] [[2004]]

'''Hungarian'''
:* ''Title:'' "'''A végső csata'''" ("The Final Battle")

'''Italian'''
:* ''Title:'' "'''L'ultima battaglia'''" ("The Last Battle")

'''Portuguese'''
:* ''Title:'' "'''Combate Mortal'''" ("Mortal Combat")
{{--}}

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Legends of the Microns'' — Volume 13 ([[Columbia Music Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Season One: Part Two ([[Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — The Collector's Edition ([[Universal]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Volume Two ([[New KSM]]) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Studios]])

[[Category:Armada episodes]]

Mortal Combat

2025-01-28T20:30:29Z

TheFurbit: /* Trivia */ You mean the Japanese dub where Megatron provokes Convoy to fight him and is surprised when the latter attacks him? That's natural?

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=52
|prev=Origin
|next=Cybertron City (episode)
|title="Mortal Combat"
|japanese=死闘
|romaji=Shitō
|translation=Death Match
|image=Armada 52 - Prime hangon to Galvatron.jpg
|caption=Fatality!
|production code=TF: A-52
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Ryō Motohira]]
|englishadaptation=[[Terry Klassen]]
|director=[[Hidehito Ueda]], [[Mitsuru Kawasaki]] (asst. dir.), [[Munetaka Abe]] (animation dir.)
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[October 3]], [[2003]] (English, United Kingdom) [[December 12]], [[2003]] (English, United States) [[December 26]], [[2003]] (Japanese)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]
}}
'''Optimus and Galvatron wage their final brutal battle, while the rest of the Transformers deal with Unicron.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Unicron]] is no longer functional, his body lying dormant in space. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] lets the assembled armies return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to begin the rebuilding.

[[File:MortalCombat galvatron sacrifice.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left]]
Inside of Unicron, [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] holds onto the idea that he can still become the sole ruler of the universe. Now that Unicron is gone, it's left to [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and Galvatron to finish the war. Optimus and the kids try to argue that now that the two armies are now united, there's no need to continue the fight. Still, Galvatron reminds his foe that the hatred left over from an unfinished war would repower Unicron.

On Cybertron, [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] alerts the other that Unicron is in motion again. Hot Shot decides to go to Unicron to retrieve Optimus Prime, but [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] takes Hot Shot's place. [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] follows Jetfire.

Optimus says goodbye to the children; they don't want to go, but Prime convinces them that he and Galvatron must have their final battle. After throwing away the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]—since this isn't a battle between Autobots and Decepticons, but Optimus' vision for peace against Galvatron's lust for conflict— Prime starts the fight with some gunfire and a knee to Galvatron's face. When Galvatron gets up, he and Prime blast their firepower at each other.

Jetfire and Cyclonus pick up the kids outside Unicron and bring them back to Cybertron. The kids report what the two leaders are doing, and it seems Unicron isn't dead either. Under heavy pressure, Hot Shot orders the attack against Unicron to be resumed, with special care taken not to harm the leaders.

Inside, Optimus Prime and Galvatron continue to rumble. Prime throws one of his wheels directly into Galvatron's primary cannon. The resulting explosion blasts Galvatron through a wall, but the ferocity of the combat only amuses the Decepticon. Unicron's words echo in Prime's mind. Galvatron uses his extending antlers to toss Prime around. Prime breaks off the blades and uses them against his rival, but Galvatron scores a critical hit through Optimus with his hidden wrist blade.

[[File:Mortal Combat Hot Shot Jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|When we come back, we'll be terrible cel-shaded CGI!]]
The [[Transformer]]s buzz around Unicron, blasting him through his trenches. [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] notices that a large, growing black hole has appeared on Unicron's surface during the combat.

Optimus Prime stands up, refusing to give up the fight. Decompression sends the warriors outside of Unicron onto his external surface. The Autobot and Decepticon forces notice this, but Optimus instructs Hot Shot to lead the others into continuing the assault on Unicron while he and Galvatron continue to duel. Galvatron acquires a nearby pipe to use as a battle staff, but Optimus displays amazing agility and stands on the staff, prancing along it to kick Galvatron in the face. While Galvatron is still stunned, Optimus hefts his foe and cramps Galvatron's midsection, but the metal pipe gets shoved down Prime's back in the process.

[[File:Unicron-behind-a-planet-Armada.jpg|thumb|left]]
The two warriors break for a moment, and Galvatron admits that he enjoyed the thrill of the battle despite losing it. The moment of peace between the two is disturbed by Unicron transforming into his planet mode. Prime is stuck holding onto Galvatron as the two get sucked toward Unicron's maw. Determined to see only one winner of the war (even if it isn't him), Galvatron instructs Prime to let him fall. Prime refuses, so Galvatron cuts himself loose and free-falls into oblivion. As soon as Galvatron is absorbed, Unicron vanishes. Left floating in space, Optimus decides he's unworthy of the Matrix.

Sometime later, Hot Shot and Jetfire return the kids to Earth. They agree that they've learned much from each other since their first encounter. [[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]], [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]], and [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] start to cry. Alexis gazes down at her pendant that contains the [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] stone that [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] gave her, sadly smiling as if remembering him. Rad asks what happened to Optimus, but Hot Shot assures him that Optimus will be all right, wherever he is. After the Autobots and Mini-Cons leave to rebuild Cybertron, Optimus Prime narrates the closing moments. With the war over, and the former hatred between the Autobot and Decepticon factions no more, a new era can begin for the Transformers. But, hidden behind a distant planet, Unicron endures.

[['Til all are one|'Til all are]] [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|undone.]]
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (2)
* [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] (3)
* [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (6)
* [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (13)
* [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (14)
* [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (15)
* [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]] (16)
* [[Rhinox (Armada)|Rhinox]] (24)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (5)
* [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (17)
* [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (18)
* [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] (19)
* [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] (23)

|c3=
* [[Rad White|Rad]] (7)
* [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] (8)
* [[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] (9)
* [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (10)
* [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (11)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[Street Action Mini-Con Team]] (12)
*[[Race Mini-Con Team]] (20)
*[[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Mini-Con Team]] (21)
*[[Space Mini-Con Team]] (22)

|h5=Other|c5=
* [[Unicron]] (1)
}}

==Quotes==
"This probably isn't the time to ask, but when are we gonna eat, you guys?" 
"Zip it, Fred, or I'll give you my fist to chew on!" 
:—'''Fred''' and '''Billy'''

"Your mindless ambitions are fueled only by your greed. You'll stop at nothing to get what you want. I should have let Unicron destroy you!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' to Galvatron

"Why can't we all just get along?!"
:—'''Fred'''

"Children, the future is yours!" 
"Good riddance, humans!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Galvatron''' bid farewell to the kids in their unique ways.

"Don't act surprised. This is exactly what you wanted. And I fight you not as the leader of the Autobots, but as the leader of ''all'' Transformers!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' tosses aside his Matrix of Leadership before attacking Galvatron.

"Farewell, Optimus Prime. Victory is all yours. Now go look after your men, they need you!"
:—'''Galvatron's''' last words until ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''

"The war between the Autobots and the Decepticons has come to an end, and without the hatred between the two sides, there was no evil to feed Unicron, and he became powerless. Both Unicron and Megatron scattered into the far reaches of the universe. As for me, my purpose has been served. Cybertron is safe and Transformers live in peace with the Mini-Cons. So the next time you look out into space and see a peaceful star far, far away, it just might be Cybertron. TRANSFORM!"
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' last words until ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''

{{--}}

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Legends of the Microns''===
* The opening is silent in ''Legends of the Microns'' until Hot Shot speaks. Meanwhile, ''Armada'' has [[Jim Conrad]] narrate the opening, recapping the last episode's events of how the union managed to neutralize Unicron, but an old battle is about to begin.
* Hot Shot hopes that Optimus and Galvatron will get out of Unicron safely in ''Armada'', and Scavenger suggests they shouldn't worry too much since they can handle themselves. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Hot Shots asks if they escaped Unicron. Scavenger imagines those two can handle themselves but is unsure what to do now. Hot Shot then says that if taking down Unicron happened earlier, they would retrieve them, but figured they need a break in ''Legends of the Microns'', but Armada only has him say they'll meet them back on Cybertron.
* Optimus and Galvatron's conversation before they clash is ''essentially'' the same in both dubs, but the points made are almost entirely different. ''Armada'' noticeably throws in being the ruler of the universe, whereas ''Legends of the Microns'' is about trying to embrace your nature.
** ''Legends of the Microns'' has Galvatron ask Optimus what their long struggle's purpose was and whether it was to only awaken Unicron before claiming they fought each other to preserve their true sense of selves and not to be Unicron's puppets. The kids—particularly Fred—are confused about this talk about maintaining a true sense of self. Galvatron reminds them he only joined forces with Optimus to take down Unicron, and now that he is defeated, there is no reason to continue the alliance. Alexis then asks why Starscream sacrificed himself, to which Galvatron also asks why, and Alexis replies with how it was to unite all Transformers. Galvatron continues that even if the Decepticons and Autobots join hands, he can never reconcile the differences between him and Optimus, causing the latter to ask if the battle with Unicron was pointless. Galvatron then says the battle itself wasn't pointless, but it can only have meaning if the party with justice must gain victory. Optimus replies with his own, saying that Unicron will only grow stronger as long as evil resides in the Transformers' hearts, and that's what the battle has wrought. The kids agree with Optimus, to which Galvatron asks if that's what he truly believes and mentions that he couldn't answer Sideways' question before asking again if Optimus' hatred of him was a motivator to fight all this time. When Optimus asks who is, Galvatron replies with "That again" before saying he wants to seek Optimus' true feelings as a Transformer.
** ''Armada'' makes Galvatron say that if they don't continue their battle, all their fighting has been pointless before making a very unwanted claim of how the universe can have only one ruler. The kids respond with annoyance except for Fred and Billy, with the former asking when they're gonna eat and the latter saying that he would give him his fist to chew on. Galvatron says it's now time to deal with the other obstacle before Alexis jumps in, reminding him of why Starscream sacrificed himself, to which Galvatron answers that Starscream was a fool before Alexis says that he wanted everyone to leave in peace. Galvatron tells the kids to understand the simple concept of only one person ruling the universe before claiming that it's going to be him, then Optimus asks if battling Unicron was just a means to an end. Galvatron confirms this and says he used him to further his ambitions, asking if it's wrong to think highly of yourself, to which Optimus says yes and continues that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Then, in a bit of an out-of-character moment, he claims that he should've let Unicron destroy Galvatron. Galvatron says that this conversation is interesting, but Optimus fails to comprehend his own argument before reminding him of what Unicron said about their dilemma and asks if Optimus is either oppressing his hatred of him or actually likes him. Once Optimus reintroduces himself, Galvatron replies that he never changes and says Prime can deny his hatred all he wants, but he knows the real truth in his heart.
* When Unicron starts to move, Hot Shot suggests it's maybe better if they wait until Optimus gets back to figure out what to do, then later says no to Red Alert's suggestion that this is the best opportunity to retrieve him and the kids and that everyone should stay here and be on the lookout in ''Armada''. ''Legends of the Microns'' is mostly the same, but Hot Shot asks if Optimus, Galvatron, and the kids are still inside Unicron, then when responding to Red Alert's suggestion, mentions that the fleet's on standby. He then asks what the chances of Unicron attacking are, and if anything does happen, he can always count on Jetfire to take charge.
* Jetfire speaks in a lot more of a commanding tone when suggesting that he goes and retrieves everyone on Unicron in ''Armada'' compared to ''Legends of the Microns''. When Jetfire leaves, and Cyclonus catches up with him, ''Armada'' plays the [[Theme song|theme song]] whereas no music is present in ''Legends of the Microns''.
[[File:Mortal Combat animation changes.jpg|thumb|340px|Animation changes between ''Armada'' (left) and ''Legends of the Microns'' screencaps (right).]]
* The kids' departure from Optimus and Galvatron brings in more differences, yet still being ''somewhat'' the same thing in between dubs:
** Before pointing out the differences between the dialogue, there are some surprising animation shot changes between versions.
*** When Optimus says the children's names before his speech, ''Armada'' has an exclusive pan of the kids. ''Legends of the Microns'' instead uses a later shot of Optimus looking down on the kids during this sequence (see right).
*** After Optimus tells the Mini-Cons to look after the kids, High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock's shot are drawn differently in each version, with the Japanese dub swapping places between High Wire and Grindor to provide more consistency on who is where (see right).
** ''Armada'' has Galvatron ask the kids to step aside since he and Optimus have "business" to take care of, then Carlos says they aren't going anywhere, and Billy confidently says Optimus isn't going to fight. Galvatron mockingly replies that Optimus will let himself get obliterated before the latter thanks the kids for helping the Autobots save the Mini-Cons. Optimus then assures Galvatron is right about ending hate in the universe and that he must now finish what he started. Sureshock asks Optimus why he should fight after he entrusts them with the children, with the latter then saying it's the only way to achieve peace. Rad tells him he shouldn't let Galvatron suck him into this but later realizes Optimus isn't going to change. He then asks if they'll see each other again soon, and Optimus assures him that they will, and he'll always remember him. Optimus and Galvatron then bid the kids farewell, as quoted above.
** In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron asks the kids to leave Unicron since this is his and Optimus' fight, with Carlos asking why he still can't understand what they are saying and Billy reaffirming that there's no need to fight. Galvatron says it doesn't look like Optimus believes that before the latter says to the kids that they would've never been able to defeat Unicron without their help, but apologizes for going to fight with Galvatron and that he's still a regular Transformer when one removes the "Supreme Commander" title from him. Optimus trusts the Mini-Cons to take care of the children and assures them that they all must rely on their strength to carry on, which makes Rad ask if he is going to fight. Rad thanks Optimus for everything that has happened, and the latter assures vice versa and that he wouldn't be standing here today without Rad. High Wire says all of the kids' names whenever his eyes glow, and Optimus tells them farewell and to head toward the future. Galvatron is silent here.
* Galvatron talks about being only with Optimus in ''Armada'', to which Optimus says that the time of speeches is over and it's time to end their quarrel, then later says Galvatron shouldn't be surprised and that this is what he wants before throwing the Matrix out. ''Legends of the Microns'' has Galvatron asking Optimus what's wrong, with Prime replying that he was right, which is why they'll fight as Transformers from this point onward.
* After tossing the Matrix before his final battle against Galvatron, Optimus says that he's fighting him not as a Commander "but as a Transformer called Optimus Prime!"
* After Optimus shoots at Galvatron, he comments on how he was the first one to attack in ''Legends of the Microns'', whereas ''Armada'' has him say that Optimus is not superior to him.
* When Cyclonus stops shooting at Unicron, he says he just got carried away in ''Armada'' whereas ''Legends of the Microns'' has him say, "I guess so..." Jetfire's reaction is also changed from him telling Cyclonus to knock it off in the English dub, but immediately remarks of Optimus and the others being inside Unicron in Japanese.
* When Jetfire notices the kids coming out of Unicron, ''Armada'' has Rad sounding shocked about the teleportation he just witnessed, but ''Legends of the Microns'' has him silent and instead has Jetfire point out the kids.
* The union's discussion back at the [[Axalon (Armada)|Axalon]] is subtly different between versions:
** ''Legends of the Microns'' has Hoist ask how they are supposed to protect space with Unicron floating around, which Scavenger then asks what they are going to do since he's just there defenseless. Wheeljack asks Hot Shot what's the purpose of uniting the Transformers race before encouraging him to think, and then Demolishor reminds everyone that Galvatron is still inside Unicron. Side Swipe reminds everyone that Optimus is there too, to which Blurr responds that the two leaders are focusing intently on their duel, but he can't say why. Hot Shot then concludes that this might be their only chance to destroy Unicron, and even if Optimus is still inside, they must carry out the attack.
** ''Armada'' has Hoist suggest that they should wait for Jetfire and the kids to return before they do anything, with Scavenger agreeing. Wheeljack suggests to Hot Shot they should commence an assault now before Demolishor and Sideswipe remind him that the two leaders are still inside Unicron and they might get hit. Blurr says that it might be best for Optimus to return first, and he doesn't think they have a choice, and then Hot Shot evaluates that Unicron can't be fully recovered, nor Optimus and Galvatron should get hurt before he announces the assault.
* ''Legends of the Microns'' has Hot Shot's announcement longer than ''Armada'', which also focuses more on Optimus and Galvatron being inside than the actual attack.
* After Galvatron gets thrown off course due to his blaster getting clogged, ''Armada'' has Galvatron saying he didn't expect Optimus to defend himself, but he's glad that he is his old self again, and all of this reminds him of the good old days. His laugh during this also has an echo effect. Meanwhile, in ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron says this is what he expects from a top-class Transformer who fights and then remarks on how fun this is.
* Unicron's words hovering over Optimus gives the same intent in both dubs, but like with "[[Origin]]," there's no mention of Optimus being like Galvatron if he doesn't have the Matrix in ''Armada'' and instead, Unicron talks about he loves the smell of battle.
[[File:Mortal Combat ML Exclusive Shot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|An exclusive ''Legends of the Microns'' shot—too disturbing for the kids?]]
* When the scene cuts back to their duel, ''Legends of the Microns'' adds a short clip where Galvatron rips out his destroyed cannon to throw it at Optimus before striking him with his horns (see right). ''Armada'' only shows Optimus blocking a seemingly random object thrown at him.
* Where High Wire says that Sideways was eliminated and Unicron is only in a dormant state in ''Armada'', ''Legends of the Microns'' has him say that defeating Sideways didn't kill off Unicron. In the same shot, Carlos asks what High Wire means in ''Legends of the Microns'', but says, "Mind saying that in English?" in Armada.
* Alexis in ''Armada'' makes it so that the hole in Unicron's armor seemingly opens itself, making Billy's response awkward. Rad also wonders if it's a telltale sign that Optimus is okay. ''Legends of the Microns'' has Alexis say the union managed to punch a hole in Unicron's armor, so Billy getting excited is more appropriate here, and Rad asks if Optimus is alright with no relation to the hole.
* Wheeljack says they are about to launch the second wave in ''Armada'', but tells the ''attack'' wave company to follow him ''Legends of the Microns''.
* Galvatron tells Optimus that he demands satisfaction since it can't end anti-climatically in ''Armada'', while ''Legends of the Microns'' has him ask if that's all he got and if this is how their grudge is going to end after thousands of years. Optimus says, "End?" before chuckling in ''Legends of the Microns'', whereas ''Armada'' has him say that he wishes he could accommodate Galvatron. Galvatron then tells Optimus to get up so he can destroy him, with the latter replying to not count on it''Armada''. ''Legends of the Microns'' simply has Galvatron telling Optimus to get up, and the latter says this isn't over yet.
* Galvatron says, "That's the enemy I've come to know!" after Optimus gets up in ''Legends of the Microns'', whereas ''Armada'' has him say, "That's more like it, Prime!"
* Galvatron replies to his men about beating Unicron to forget about him and that his power will be his, then reminds Optimus about their battle in ''Armada''. ''Legends of the Microns'' has him say that Unicron is nothing but scrap metal now, and his excitement has only just begun. Additionally, Optimus says to Hot Shot he'll take care of Galvatron and tells him and everyone to attack Unicron with everything they got in the English dub. In contrast, he tells Hot Shot to leave him and Galvatron alone in the Japanese dub, and from this point onward, Hot Shot is in command.
* Hot Shot says Optimus' name in ''Legends of the Microns'' but says "No problem," in ''Armada'' in a tired tone.
* ''Armada'' uses the theme song's insert trance version for the remainder of Optimus and Galvatron's fight and plays right when Hot Shot commands everyone to attack. ''Legends of the Microns'' instead uses "[[The Transformers Legends of the Microns: Sound of Evolution Vol. 2|Theme of Megatron - Attack by Villains]]" and plays it when Unicron is transforming.
* When the kids notice the Matrix floating in space, Jetfire asks what Rad just said in ''Legends of the Microns'', but doesn't say anything in ''Armada''. Additionally ''Armada'' has Alexis asking why he would take it off, with Carlos saying that's too freaky, followed by Billy saying there has to be a reason. Then Fred suggests that maybe there's something Optimus is not telling them. ''Legends of the Microns'' moves Alexis' line of why Optimus would take the Matrix off to Carlos; Billy says he has no idea, and Fred responds in fear, asking if this means Optimus is not the commander anymore.
* The shot of Optimus panting was redrawn in ''Legends of the Microns'' to have more accurate shading and proportions (see above).
* Once again, Optimus and Galvatron's conversation after they fought is a lot different between dubs, especially with Optimus:
** In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron tells Optimus that he is incredibly strong and that while he can't go on due to him falling apart, the battle was fun. Optimus then agrees despite him hating to admit it, followed by Galvatron saying as long as he knows how to fight, they are both the same, and Transformers love to fight overall. Optimus agrees with this, too, and says we're forged with a warrior's instincts, but he seeks the light beyond the combat and says that justice is indeed obtained by winning in the end, which he tried to deny before the fight. Galvatron responds in delight to what Optimus just said but tells him never to forget that justice can only be obtained through the hardships of battle.
** ''Armada'' has Galvatron say that this is the old Optimus he used to know, and follows that he has nothing left to offer and Optimus won fair and square, but the latter thinks they should call it a draw. Galvatron remarks how they went at it after all these years of being evenly matched and admits he enjoyed every nanosecond of it. Optimus apologizes that he can never admit to a joined battle, but it was necessary to remain at peace even if he might never see that day and hopes whoever survives this will remove evil from the universe. Galvatron then laughs and says that Optimus is right about never surviving beyond today, which means that he would now be the supreme commander.
* Near the end, where Optimus refuses to let go of Galvatron from being sucked into Unicron, Galvatron practically yells at Optimus to let go so Unicron will die from the lack of evil and to watch over the others after slicing his tread in ''Armada''. ''Legends of the Microns'' goes philosophical as Galvatron observes that both might've been looking for the same thing despite their differences, and Optimus is the light while he represents the dark. On slicing his tread, Galvatron adds that even in the next generation/world, Prime is destined to be his rival, darkness will exist as long as there's light, and not forget that evil is eternal. Optimus yells his rival's name after Galvatron disappears into Unicron in ''Armada'', but whispers "Megatron" in ''Legends of the Microns''.
* Optimus not wanting the Matrix is the same in both versions, but ''Legends of the Microns'' also has him say that even now, he's still not worthy of carrying it, which better concludes his arc of being worthy of the Matrix, starting with "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
* The final moments with the Transformers and children is subtly different in the dubs, but nothing too major, unlike the past examples:
* ''Legends of the Microns'' has Hot Shot say that he now believes they'll always be comrades no matter what happens, with Carlos agreeing and saying it doesn't matter if they're on Earth or Cybertron, and Jetfire agrees with that. He then says that they learned lessons from the kids, with Alexis saying the kids themselves learned a lot from them too. Fred asks if everyone is going to rebuild Cybertron, and Hot Shot says yes, and it doesn't matter if it's the Autobots, Decepticons, or Mini-Cons, since they all want to build a new Transformer world. Billy responds that they'll also try making Earth the most peaceful planet in the universe, and After disjointing from Perceptor, High Wire says goodbye and thank you. Alexis tells Sureshock that she is truly grateful, and Carlos then says he's not going to cry about the departure along with Fred, with Billy telling them to knock it off since they already are and Fred snapping back that he's not. Rad then asks about Optimus, with Hot Shot stating not to worry and that even without the Matrix, he'll always be their commander, with Jetfire in agreement. Rad then gives his final monologue, saying their real adventure has just begun.
* In ''Armada'', Hot Shot says they will never forget the kids, and Carlos replies with vice versa. Jetfire then thanks the kids for all they taught them, with Alexis saying they learned a lot from them. Fred asks Hot Shot and Jetfire to stop by Earth if they are ever in the Solar System, which the former promises but says it might be a long time to come since Cybertron is being rebuilt and with the war being over, with Billy happily stating that the Autobots and Decepticons are finally getting along. High Wire tells the kids that they'll always be in the Mini-Cons' memory, with Rad saying vice versa and Alexis saying they'll never forget them. When Carlos is holding back from crying, he says this is harder than he thought, and when Billy points out that they are balling like babies, Fred points out that he's crying too. When Rad asks about Optimus, Hot Shot says he's not sure where Prime is but is sure he's out there somewhere, with Jetfire then stating he's right here in all of their hearts. Rad agrees and gives his final monologue of Optimus always being a part of them no matter where they are or go.
** When the kids get dropped off by Hot Shot and Jetfire, and they thank them for it, the shot of them talking is redrawn in ''Legends of the Microns'' to have more posing than ''Armada''.
* Optimus's ending narration in ''Armada'' is the aftermath of Unicron's defeat, saying that Unicron has become powerless with the war over, and he and Galvatron have scattered across the universe. Optimus states that he's served his purpose now that Cybertron is safe and the Transformers live in peace with the Mini-Cons and mentions that if you see a peaceful star far away, it might be Cybertron. ''Legends of the Microns'' gives Optimus a more sincere narration that flows more with Unicron feeding off of hatred, with him talking about how even a battle fought for justice will always produce a degree of hate. However, to prevent Unicron's revival, you must have faith and a heart that ever seeks justice, and as long as you believe in that, anyone can become your comrade.

===Translation errors===
* After tossing out the Matrix before his final battle to the death against Galvatron, Optimus says, "I fight you not as the leader of the Autobots, but as the leader of all Transformers!" This uncharacteristic ego is totally at odds with Prime's stated motivations otherwise in the series; lo and behold, the original Japanese isn't him claiming sovereignty over his entire species, but rather stating that he's simply fighting Megatron as an individual Transformer, not as the Autobot commander.
* After the hole appears on Unicron's surface, Hot Shot orders the fleet, "It's time to shift into stealth mode!" They obviously do not do this, not remotely in any sense. In the original line, Hot Shot is simply ordering everyone to attack Unicron's moving parts.
* Jetfire tells Hot Shot, "Unicron's headed back to Cybertron!" This does not appear to be the case at all. In the original line, Jetfire correctly observes that Unicron is changing to his planet mode.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:ArmadaRhinoxTV.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"We never had any evil gods on prehistoric Earth."]]
* Optimus's busted truck wheel shrinks down considerably to fit inside Galvatron's cannon to jam it.
* There's an awkward silence when High Wire's eyes start glowing up, and he's supposed to talk when that happens. ''Legends of the Microns'' has High Wire say each kid's name when his eyes glow, so this error gets fixed.
* When Tidal Wave and his fleet show up to attack Unicron, he looks off-model and lacks detail(Notice the missing canons). ''Legends of the Microns'' entirely redraws him with a more accurate model and makes his animation less jagged (see above).
* When Hot Shot yells "Attack!" as Unicron transforms back into planet mode, the animation shows the Transformer fleet ''escaping'' (which would make sense), suggesting Hot Shot's line was a scripting error. ''Legends of the Microns'' has him say Optimus' name.
* Rhinox is colored like his original [[Rhinox (BW)/toys#TM1|Transmetal toy]] instead of his ''Armada'' toy.

===Continuity notes===
[[File:Armada 52 - Prime and no Matrix.jpg|thumb|How many Autobot [[insignia]]s does he have...?]]
* Does it seem like Alexis's hair grows slightly longer during the Unicron Battles?
* According to the ''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'', Optimus and Galvatron's final battle is settling their differences and answering the questions Sideways asked in the previous episode.
* Rhinox makes his only physical debut in the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]. [[Ask Vector Prime]] revealed in [[2015]] that Rhinox perished during the battle; Vector Prime also revealed that poor [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]]'s upgrades were left incomplete due to Rhinox's death.
* This episode is the first time in the series that characters bleed upon receiving damage. As Optimus and Galvatron duel, parts of Unicron's insides take damage, with slightly yellowish-white liquid pouring out. Later, as the Decepticon leader rips a pipe from Unicron's armor to use as a weapon, bright red liquid pours out from where the pipe used to be. Additionally, when Galvatron slices Prime's chest with his wrist blade, his wound is briefly highlighted with bright red.
* That was a strangely heroic sacrifice from Galvatron—''who knew he could be a good guy sometimes?'' More true to his character, his self-sacrifice isn't heroic in the Japanese dub.
* In the second-to-last shot, Prime returns to his original colors but hasn't reclaimed the Matrix, as his Matrix compartment is visibly empty during his transformation.
* This episode marks the last time [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]], [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]], [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]]—if you don't think [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' is the same one—[[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]], and [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] appear in the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]].
** This also marks the last time Billy and Fred appear in the Unicron Trilogy, as they don't return in ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' nor ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]''{{'}}s final episode. The reason is most likely because, according to the ''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'', the team never planned on making them staple cast members, and they only lasted this long since the team never got around to writing them out.
* Even with Galvatron sacrificing himself to remove evil from the universe, Unicron survived, marking the gateway to ''Energon''.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Since being deactivated, Unicron automatically reverts to planet mode as a defense mechanism.
** Grindor can fly in skateboard mode; "[[Base]]" and "[[Comrade]]" previously alluded to this ability.
** The Mini-Con super weapons seem able to fly, which seems to be a common feature among Mini-Con super weapons/Powerlinxed forms, as seen with the [[Magnawing]] in ''[[Linkage (comic)|Linkage]]'', the [[Energon Saber]] in ''Energon'', and the [[Umbral Blaster]] in the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron: Balancing Act|Cybertron]]'' comic.
** The Mini-Cons tap into the [[Linkage (dimension)|Linkage dimension]] to phase them and the kids through Unicron's armor.
** Galvatron hasn't used his antlers to attack anyone since he went by the name "Megatron" in "[[Swoop (episode)|Swoop]]." Additionally, while having been shown to be able to use them to create electrical currents, this is the first time he's used them to shock his opponent.
** Galvatron uses his wrist blade for the first and last time in this episode, using it twice.
** Optimus has ninja-like reflexes and can tip-toe on thin pipes—''what a badass.''
** Unicron can warp.

===Continuity errors===
* During the end of their duel, Galvatron strikes a metal pipe in Optimus's back, who tries to pull it out unsuccessfully in a later shot, after which the pipe completely disappears.

===Transformers references===
* [[Rhinox (Armada)|Rhinox]] is visible in the hangar during the raid against Unicron. Because of the unanticipated success of ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', he and the other ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' remolds were released, but they were unable to receive larger roles in [[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|the show]].

===Real-world references===
* The Autobot/Decepticon fighters flying and firing down Unicron's trenches are an obvious nod to ''{{w|Star Wars (film)|Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope}}'s'' [[Death Star]] trench run.

===Trivia===
[[File:Tf ml 01 52 comparison title card.jpg|upright=1.0|thumb|Time for kanji quiz, kids!]]
* The English dub of "Mortal Combat" first aired in the United Kingdom. It aired in the United States on [[December 12]], 2003.
* Unlike the previous 51 episodes, the title card in this episode's Japanese airing didn't have the usual alternate-reading {{w|furigana}} over the {{w|kanji}} title as seen on the right.
* According to the ''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'':
** When the team finished making this episode, they all felt a sense of completion, like when Optimus sacrificed himself in "Crisis," and felt this series expanded the Transformers brand into a new direction, with it being slightly different from past iterations. The team also hopes that viewers can think about what they made.
** Optimus and Galvatron's final battle is perhaps the show's crowning achievement, nothing short of spectacular. ''And how!''
*** The fact that Optimus fights Galvatron with his fists and ingenuity, while Galvatron uses all the weapons at his disposal and his trump card knife proves Prime is the superior fighter.
** [[Munetaka Abe]]'s primary concern when animating was how to convey emotion with Optimus before the fight since he only has eyes, unlike Galvatron. Abe was also surprised when he heard about Optimus throwing the Matrix away in this episode.
** [[Hidehito Ueda]] thinks "trust" is the keyword of this series, so he wanted Optimus's last message in the episode to convey that and use it as a settlement for not only what Optimus endured throughout the show but what the team experienced while making it.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:* ''Title:'' "'''Unicrons Ende'''" ("Unicron's End")
:* ''Original airdate:'' [[January 16|16 January]] [[2004]]

'''Hungarian'''
:* ''Title:'' "'''A végső csata'''" ("The Final Battle")

'''Italian'''
:* ''Title:'' "'''L'ultima battaglia'''" ("The Last Battle")

'''Portuguese'''
:* ''Title:'' "'''Combate Mortal'''" ("Mortal Combat")
{{--}}

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Legends of the Microns'' — Volume 13 ([[Columbia Music Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Season One: Part Two ([[Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — The Collector's Edition ([[Universal]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Volume Two ([[New KSM]]) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Studios]])

[[Category:Armada episodes]]

Mortal Combat

2025-01-28T20:28:51Z

TheFurbit: /* Translation errors */ How is this a translation error? How is this an error anyway?

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=52
|prev=Origin
|next=Cybertron City (episode)
|title="Mortal Combat"
|japanese=死闘
|romaji=Shitō
|translation=Death Match
|image=Armada 52 - Prime hangon to Galvatron.jpg
|caption=Fatality!
|production code=TF: A-52
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Ryō Motohira]]
|englishadaptation=[[Terry Klassen]]
|director=[[Hidehito Ueda]], [[Mitsuru Kawasaki]] (asst. dir.), [[Munetaka Abe]] (animation dir.)
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[October 3]], [[2003]] (English, United Kingdom) [[December 12]], [[2003]] (English, United States) [[December 26]], [[2003]] (Japanese)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]
}}
'''Optimus and Galvatron wage their final brutal battle, while the rest of the Transformers deal with Unicron.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Unicron]] is no longer functional, his body lying dormant in space. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] lets the assembled armies return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to begin the rebuilding.

[[File:MortalCombat galvatron sacrifice.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left]]
Inside of Unicron, [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] holds onto the idea that he can still become the sole ruler of the universe. Now that Unicron is gone, it's left to [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and Galvatron to finish the war. Optimus and the kids try to argue that now that the two armies are now united, there's no need to continue the fight. Still, Galvatron reminds his foe that the hatred left over from an unfinished war would repower Unicron.

On Cybertron, [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] alerts the other that Unicron is in motion again. Hot Shot decides to go to Unicron to retrieve Optimus Prime, but [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] takes Hot Shot's place. [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] follows Jetfire.

Optimus says goodbye to the children; they don't want to go, but Prime convinces them that he and Galvatron must have their final battle. After throwing away the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]—since this isn't a battle between Autobots and Decepticons, but Optimus' vision for peace against Galvatron's lust for conflict— Prime starts the fight with some gunfire and a knee to Galvatron's face. When Galvatron gets up, he and Prime blast their firepower at each other.

Jetfire and Cyclonus pick up the kids outside Unicron and bring them back to Cybertron. The kids report what the two leaders are doing, and it seems Unicron isn't dead either. Under heavy pressure, Hot Shot orders the attack against Unicron to be resumed, with special care taken not to harm the leaders.

Inside, Optimus Prime and Galvatron continue to rumble. Prime throws one of his wheels directly into Galvatron's primary cannon. The resulting explosion blasts Galvatron through a wall, but the ferocity of the combat only amuses the Decepticon. Unicron's words echo in Prime's mind. Galvatron uses his extending antlers to toss Prime around. Prime breaks off the blades and uses them against his rival, but Galvatron scores a critical hit through Optimus with his hidden wrist blade.

[[File:Mortal Combat Hot Shot Jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|When we come back, we'll be terrible cel-shaded CGI!]]
The [[Transformer]]s buzz around Unicron, blasting him through his trenches. [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] notices that a large, growing black hole has appeared on Unicron's surface during the combat.

Optimus Prime stands up, refusing to give up the fight. Decompression sends the warriors outside of Unicron onto his external surface. The Autobot and Decepticon forces notice this, but Optimus instructs Hot Shot to lead the others into continuing the assault on Unicron while he and Galvatron continue to duel. Galvatron acquires a nearby pipe to use as a battle staff, but Optimus displays amazing agility and stands on the staff, prancing along it to kick Galvatron in the face. While Galvatron is still stunned, Optimus hefts his foe and cramps Galvatron's midsection, but the metal pipe gets shoved down Prime's back in the process.

[[File:Unicron-behind-a-planet-Armada.jpg|thumb|left]]
The two warriors break for a moment, and Galvatron admits that he enjoyed the thrill of the battle despite losing it. The moment of peace between the two is disturbed by Unicron transforming into his planet mode. Prime is stuck holding onto Galvatron as the two get sucked toward Unicron's maw. Determined to see only one winner of the war (even if it isn't him), Galvatron instructs Prime to let him fall. Prime refuses, so Galvatron cuts himself loose and free-falls into oblivion. As soon as Galvatron is absorbed, Unicron vanishes. Left floating in space, Optimus decides he's unworthy of the Matrix.

Sometime later, Hot Shot and Jetfire return the kids to Earth. They agree that they've learned much from each other since their first encounter. [[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]], [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]], and [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] start to cry. Alexis gazes down at her pendant that contains the [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] stone that [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] gave her, sadly smiling as if remembering him. Rad asks what happened to Optimus, but Hot Shot assures him that Optimus will be all right, wherever he is. After the Autobots and Mini-Cons leave to rebuild Cybertron, Optimus Prime narrates the closing moments. With the war over, and the former hatred between the Autobot and Decepticon factions no more, a new era can begin for the Transformers. But, hidden behind a distant planet, Unicron endures.

[['Til all are one|'Til all are]] [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|undone.]]
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (2)
* [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] (3)
* [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (6)
* [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (13)
* [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (14)
* [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (15)
* [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]] (16)
* [[Rhinox (Armada)|Rhinox]] (24)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (5)
* [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (17)
* [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (18)
* [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] (19)
* [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] (23)

|c3=
* [[Rad White|Rad]] (7)
* [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] (8)
* [[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] (9)
* [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (10)
* [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (11)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[Street Action Mini-Con Team]] (12)
*[[Race Mini-Con Team]] (20)
*[[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Mini-Con Team]] (21)
*[[Space Mini-Con Team]] (22)

|h5=Other|c5=
* [[Unicron]] (1)
}}

==Quotes==
"This probably isn't the time to ask, but when are we gonna eat, you guys?" 
"Zip it, Fred, or I'll give you my fist to chew on!" 
:—'''Fred''' and '''Billy'''

"Your mindless ambitions are fueled only by your greed. You'll stop at nothing to get what you want. I should have let Unicron destroy you!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' to Galvatron

"Why can't we all just get along?!"
:—'''Fred'''

"Children, the future is yours!" 
"Good riddance, humans!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Galvatron''' bid farewell to the kids in their unique ways.

"Don't act surprised. This is exactly what you wanted. And I fight you not as the leader of the Autobots, but as the leader of ''all'' Transformers!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' tosses aside his Matrix of Leadership before attacking Galvatron.

"Farewell, Optimus Prime. Victory is all yours. Now go look after your men, they need you!"
:—'''Galvatron's''' last words until ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''

"The war between the Autobots and the Decepticons has come to an end, and without the hatred between the two sides, there was no evil to feed Unicron, and he became powerless. Both Unicron and Megatron scattered into the far reaches of the universe. As for me, my purpose has been served. Cybertron is safe and Transformers live in peace with the Mini-Cons. So the next time you look out into space and see a peaceful star far, far away, it just might be Cybertron. TRANSFORM!"
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' last words until ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''

{{--}}

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Legends of the Microns''===
* The opening is silent in ''Legends of the Microns'' until Hot Shot speaks. Meanwhile, ''Armada'' has [[Jim Conrad]] narrate the opening, recapping the last episode's events of how the union managed to neutralize Unicron, but an old battle is about to begin.
* Hot Shot hopes that Optimus and Galvatron will get out of Unicron safely in ''Armada'', and Scavenger suggests they shouldn't worry too much since they can handle themselves. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Hot Shots asks if they escaped Unicron. Scavenger imagines those two can handle themselves but is unsure what to do now. Hot Shot then says that if taking down Unicron happened earlier, they would retrieve them, but figured they need a break in ''Legends of the Microns'', but Armada only has him say they'll meet them back on Cybertron.
* Optimus and Galvatron's conversation before they clash is ''essentially'' the same in both dubs, but the points made are almost entirely different. ''Armada'' noticeably throws in being the ruler of the universe, whereas ''Legends of the Microns'' is about trying to embrace your nature.
** ''Legends of the Microns'' has Galvatron ask Optimus what their long struggle's purpose was and whether it was to only awaken Unicron before claiming they fought each other to preserve their true sense of selves and not to be Unicron's puppets. The kids—particularly Fred—are confused about this talk about maintaining a true sense of self. Galvatron reminds them he only joined forces with Optimus to take down Unicron, and now that he is defeated, there is no reason to continue the alliance. Alexis then asks why Starscream sacrificed himself, to which Galvatron also asks why, and Alexis replies with how it was to unite all Transformers. Galvatron continues that even if the Decepticons and Autobots join hands, he can never reconcile the differences between him and Optimus, causing the latter to ask if the battle with Unicron was pointless. Galvatron then says the battle itself wasn't pointless, but it can only have meaning if the party with justice must gain victory. Optimus replies with his own, saying that Unicron will only grow stronger as long as evil resides in the Transformers' hearts, and that's what the battle has wrought. The kids agree with Optimus, to which Galvatron asks if that's what he truly believes and mentions that he couldn't answer Sideways' question before asking again if Optimus' hatred of him was a motivator to fight all this time. When Optimus asks who is, Galvatron replies with "That again" before saying he wants to seek Optimus' true feelings as a Transformer.
** ''Armada'' makes Galvatron say that if they don't continue their battle, all their fighting has been pointless before making a very unwanted claim of how the universe can have only one ruler. The kids respond with annoyance except for Fred and Billy, with the former asking when they're gonna eat and the latter saying that he would give him his fist to chew on. Galvatron says it's now time to deal with the other obstacle before Alexis jumps in, reminding him of why Starscream sacrificed himself, to which Galvatron answers that Starscream was a fool before Alexis says that he wanted everyone to leave in peace. Galvatron tells the kids to understand the simple concept of only one person ruling the universe before claiming that it's going to be him, then Optimus asks if battling Unicron was just a means to an end. Galvatron confirms this and says he used him to further his ambitions, asking if it's wrong to think highly of yourself, to which Optimus says yes and continues that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Then, in a bit of an out-of-character moment, he claims that he should've let Unicron destroy Galvatron. Galvatron says that this conversation is interesting, but Optimus fails to comprehend his own argument before reminding him of what Unicron said about their dilemma and asks if Optimus is either oppressing his hatred of him or actually likes him. Once Optimus reintroduces himself, Galvatron replies that he never changes and says Prime can deny his hatred all he wants, but he knows the real truth in his heart.
* When Unicron starts to move, Hot Shot suggests it's maybe better if they wait until Optimus gets back to figure out what to do, then later says no to Red Alert's suggestion that this is the best opportunity to retrieve him and the kids and that everyone should stay here and be on the lookout in ''Armada''. ''Legends of the Microns'' is mostly the same, but Hot Shot asks if Optimus, Galvatron, and the kids are still inside Unicron, then when responding to Red Alert's suggestion, mentions that the fleet's on standby. He then asks what the chances of Unicron attacking are, and if anything does happen, he can always count on Jetfire to take charge.
* Jetfire speaks in a lot more of a commanding tone when suggesting that he goes and retrieves everyone on Unicron in ''Armada'' compared to ''Legends of the Microns''. When Jetfire leaves, and Cyclonus catches up with him, ''Armada'' plays the [[Theme song|theme song]] whereas no music is present in ''Legends of the Microns''.
[[File:Mortal Combat animation changes.jpg|thumb|340px|Animation changes between ''Armada'' (left) and ''Legends of the Microns'' screencaps (right).]]
* The kids' departure from Optimus and Galvatron brings in more differences, yet still being ''somewhat'' the same thing in between dubs:
** Before pointing out the differences between the dialogue, there are some surprising animation shot changes between versions.
*** When Optimus says the children's names before his speech, ''Armada'' has an exclusive pan of the kids. ''Legends of the Microns'' instead uses a later shot of Optimus looking down on the kids during this sequence (see right).
*** After Optimus tells the Mini-Cons to look after the kids, High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock's shot are drawn differently in each version, with the Japanese dub swapping places between High Wire and Grindor to provide more consistency on who is where (see right).
** ''Armada'' has Galvatron ask the kids to step aside since he and Optimus have "business" to take care of, then Carlos says they aren't going anywhere, and Billy confidently says Optimus isn't going to fight. Galvatron mockingly replies that Optimus will let himself get obliterated before the latter thanks the kids for helping the Autobots save the Mini-Cons. Optimus then assures Galvatron is right about ending hate in the universe and that he must now finish what he started. Sureshock asks Optimus why he should fight after he entrusts them with the children, with the latter then saying it's the only way to achieve peace. Rad tells him he shouldn't let Galvatron suck him into this but later realizes Optimus isn't going to change. He then asks if they'll see each other again soon, and Optimus assures him that they will, and he'll always remember him. Optimus and Galvatron then bid the kids farewell, as quoted above.
** In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron asks the kids to leave Unicron since this is his and Optimus' fight, with Carlos asking why he still can't understand what they are saying and Billy reaffirming that there's no need to fight. Galvatron says it doesn't look like Optimus believes that before the latter says to the kids that they would've never been able to defeat Unicron without their help, but apologizes for going to fight with Galvatron and that he's still a regular Transformer when one removes the "Supreme Commander" title from him. Optimus trusts the Mini-Cons to take care of the children and assures them that they all must rely on their strength to carry on, which makes Rad ask if he is going to fight. Rad thanks Optimus for everything that has happened, and the latter assures vice versa and that he wouldn't be standing here today without Rad. High Wire says all of the kids' names whenever his eyes glow, and Optimus tells them farewell and to head toward the future. Galvatron is silent here.
* Galvatron talks about being only with Optimus in ''Armada'', to which Optimus says that the time of speeches is over and it's time to end their quarrel, then later says Galvatron shouldn't be surprised and that this is what he wants before throwing the Matrix out. ''Legends of the Microns'' has Galvatron asking Optimus what's wrong, with Prime replying that he was right, which is why they'll fight as Transformers from this point onward.
* After tossing the Matrix before his final battle against Galvatron, Optimus says that he's fighting him not as a Commander "but as a Transformer called Optimus Prime!"
* After Optimus shoots at Galvatron, he comments on how he was the first one to attack in ''Legends of the Microns'', whereas ''Armada'' has him say that Optimus is not superior to him.
* When Cyclonus stops shooting at Unicron, he says he just got carried away in ''Armada'' whereas ''Legends of the Microns'' has him say, "I guess so..." Jetfire's reaction is also changed from him telling Cyclonus to knock it off in the English dub, but immediately remarks of Optimus and the others being inside Unicron in Japanese.
* When Jetfire notices the kids coming out of Unicron, ''Armada'' has Rad sounding shocked about the teleportation he just witnessed, but ''Legends of the Microns'' has him silent and instead has Jetfire point out the kids.
* The union's discussion back at the [[Axalon (Armada)|Axalon]] is subtly different between versions:
** ''Legends of the Microns'' has Hoist ask how they are supposed to protect space with Unicron floating around, which Scavenger then asks what they are going to do since he's just there defenseless. Wheeljack asks Hot Shot what's the purpose of uniting the Transformers race before encouraging him to think, and then Demolishor reminds everyone that Galvatron is still inside Unicron. Side Swipe reminds everyone that Optimus is there too, to which Blurr responds that the two leaders are focusing intently on their duel, but he can't say why. Hot Shot then concludes that this might be their only chance to destroy Unicron, and even if Optimus is still inside, they must carry out the attack.
** ''Armada'' has Hoist suggest that they should wait for Jetfire and the kids to return before they do anything, with Scavenger agreeing. Wheeljack suggests to Hot Shot they should commence an assault now before Demolishor and Sideswipe remind him that the two leaders are still inside Unicron and they might get hit. Blurr says that it might be best for Optimus to return first, and he doesn't think they have a choice, and then Hot Shot evaluates that Unicron can't be fully recovered, nor Optimus and Galvatron should get hurt before he announces the assault.
* ''Legends of the Microns'' has Hot Shot's announcement longer than ''Armada'', which also focuses more on Optimus and Galvatron being inside than the actual attack.
* After Galvatron gets thrown off course due to his blaster getting clogged, ''Armada'' has Galvatron saying he didn't expect Optimus to defend himself, but he's glad that he is his old self again, and all of this reminds him of the good old days. His laugh during this also has an echo effect. Meanwhile, in ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron says this is what he expects from a top-class Transformer who fights and then remarks on how fun this is.
* Unicron's words hovering over Optimus gives the same intent in both dubs, but like with "[[Origin]]," there's no mention of Optimus being like Galvatron if he doesn't have the Matrix in ''Armada'' and instead, Unicron talks about he loves the smell of battle.
[[File:Mortal Combat ML Exclusive Shot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|An exclusive ''Legends of the Microns'' shot—too disturbing for the kids?]]
* When the scene cuts back to their duel, ''Legends of the Microns'' adds a short clip where Galvatron rips out his destroyed cannon to throw it at Optimus before striking him with his horns (see right). ''Armada'' only shows Optimus blocking a seemingly random object thrown at him.
* Where High Wire says that Sideways was eliminated and Unicron is only in a dormant state in ''Armada'', ''Legends of the Microns'' has him say that defeating Sideways didn't kill off Unicron. In the same shot, Carlos asks what High Wire means in ''Legends of the Microns'', but says, "Mind saying that in English?" in Armada.
* Alexis in ''Armada'' makes it so that the hole in Unicron's armor seemingly opens itself, making Billy's response awkward. Rad also wonders if it's a telltale sign that Optimus is okay. ''Legends of the Microns'' has Alexis say the union managed to punch a hole in Unicron's armor, so Billy getting excited is more appropriate here, and Rad asks if Optimus is alright with no relation to the hole.
* Wheeljack says they are about to launch the second wave in ''Armada'', but tells the ''attack'' wave company to follow him ''Legends of the Microns''.
* Galvatron tells Optimus that he demands satisfaction since it can't end anti-climatically in ''Armada'', while ''Legends of the Microns'' has him ask if that's all he got and if this is how their grudge is going to end after thousands of years. Optimus says, "End?" before chuckling in ''Legends of the Microns'', whereas ''Armada'' has him say that he wishes he could accommodate Galvatron. Galvatron then tells Optimus to get up so he can destroy him, with the latter replying to not count on it''Armada''. ''Legends of the Microns'' simply has Galvatron telling Optimus to get up, and the latter says this isn't over yet.
* Galvatron says, "That's the enemy I've come to know!" after Optimus gets up in ''Legends of the Microns'', whereas ''Armada'' has him say, "That's more like it, Prime!"
* Galvatron replies to his men about beating Unicron to forget about him and that his power will be his, then reminds Optimus about their battle in ''Armada''. ''Legends of the Microns'' has him say that Unicron is nothing but scrap metal now, and his excitement has only just begun. Additionally, Optimus says to Hot Shot he'll take care of Galvatron and tells him and everyone to attack Unicron with everything they got in the English dub. In contrast, he tells Hot Shot to leave him and Galvatron alone in the Japanese dub, and from this point onward, Hot Shot is in command.
* Hot Shot says Optimus' name in ''Legends of the Microns'' but says "No problem," in ''Armada'' in a tired tone.
* ''Armada'' uses the theme song's insert trance version for the remainder of Optimus and Galvatron's fight and plays right when Hot Shot commands everyone to attack. ''Legends of the Microns'' instead uses "[[The Transformers Legends of the Microns: Sound of Evolution Vol. 2|Theme of Megatron - Attack by Villains]]" and plays it when Unicron is transforming.
* When the kids notice the Matrix floating in space, Jetfire asks what Rad just said in ''Legends of the Microns'', but doesn't say anything in ''Armada''. Additionally ''Armada'' has Alexis asking why he would take it off, with Carlos saying that's too freaky, followed by Billy saying there has to be a reason. Then Fred suggests that maybe there's something Optimus is not telling them. ''Legends of the Microns'' moves Alexis' line of why Optimus would take the Matrix off to Carlos; Billy says he has no idea, and Fred responds in fear, asking if this means Optimus is not the commander anymore.
* The shot of Optimus panting was redrawn in ''Legends of the Microns'' to have more accurate shading and proportions (see above).
* Once again, Optimus and Galvatron's conversation after they fought is a lot different between dubs, especially with Optimus:
** In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron tells Optimus that he is incredibly strong and that while he can't go on due to him falling apart, the battle was fun. Optimus then agrees despite him hating to admit it, followed by Galvatron saying as long as he knows how to fight, they are both the same, and Transformers love to fight overall. Optimus agrees with this, too, and says we're forged with a warrior's instincts, but he seeks the light beyond the combat and says that justice is indeed obtained by winning in the end, which he tried to deny before the fight. Galvatron responds in delight to what Optimus just said but tells him never to forget that justice can only be obtained through the hardships of battle.
** ''Armada'' has Galvatron say that this is the old Optimus he used to know, and follows that he has nothing left to offer and Optimus won fair and square, but the latter thinks they should call it a draw. Galvatron remarks how they went at it after all these years of being evenly matched and admits he enjoyed every nanosecond of it. Optimus apologizes that he can never admit to a joined battle, but it was necessary to remain at peace even if he might never see that day and hopes whoever survives this will remove evil from the universe. Galvatron then laughs and says that Optimus is right about never surviving beyond today, which means that he would now be the supreme commander.
* Near the end, where Optimus refuses to let go of Galvatron from being sucked into Unicron, Galvatron practically yells at Optimus to let go so Unicron will die from the lack of evil and to watch over the others after slicing his tread in ''Armada''. ''Legends of the Microns'' goes philosophical as Galvatron observes that both might've been looking for the same thing despite their differences, and Optimus is the light while he represents the dark. On slicing his tread, Galvatron adds that even in the next generation/world, Prime is destined to be his rival, darkness will exist as long as there's light, and not forget that evil is eternal. Optimus yells his rival's name after Galvatron disappears into Unicron in ''Armada'', but whispers "Megatron" in ''Legends of the Microns''.
* Optimus not wanting the Matrix is the same in both versions, but ''Legends of the Microns'' also has him say that even now, he's still not worthy of carrying it, which better concludes his arc of being worthy of the Matrix, starting with "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
* The final moments with the Transformers and children is subtly different in the dubs, but nothing too major, unlike the past examples:
* ''Legends of the Microns'' has Hot Shot say that he now believes they'll always be comrades no matter what happens, with Carlos agreeing and saying it doesn't matter if they're on Earth or Cybertron, and Jetfire agrees with that. He then says that they learned lessons from the kids, with Alexis saying the kids themselves learned a lot from them too. Fred asks if everyone is going to rebuild Cybertron, and Hot Shot says yes, and it doesn't matter if it's the Autobots, Decepticons, or Mini-Cons, since they all want to build a new Transformer world. Billy responds that they'll also try making Earth the most peaceful planet in the universe, and After disjointing from Perceptor, High Wire says goodbye and thank you. Alexis tells Sureshock that she is truly grateful, and Carlos then says he's not going to cry about the departure along with Fred, with Billy telling them to knock it off since they already are and Fred snapping back that he's not. Rad then asks about Optimus, with Hot Shot stating not to worry and that even without the Matrix, he'll always be their commander, with Jetfire in agreement. Rad then gives his final monologue, saying their real adventure has just begun.
* In ''Armada'', Hot Shot says they will never forget the kids, and Carlos replies with vice versa. Jetfire then thanks the kids for all they taught them, with Alexis saying they learned a lot from them. Fred asks Hot Shot and Jetfire to stop by Earth if they are ever in the Solar System, which the former promises but says it might be a long time to come since Cybertron is being rebuilt and with the war being over, with Billy happily stating that the Autobots and Decepticons are finally getting along. High Wire tells the kids that they'll always be in the Mini-Cons' memory, with Rad saying vice versa and Alexis saying they'll never forget them. When Carlos is holding back from crying, he says this is harder than he thought, and when Billy points out that they are balling like babies, Fred points out that he's crying too. When Rad asks about Optimus, Hot Shot says he's not sure where Prime is but is sure he's out there somewhere, with Jetfire then stating he's right here in all of their hearts. Rad agrees and gives his final monologue of Optimus always being a part of them no matter where they are or go.
** When the kids get dropped off by Hot Shot and Jetfire, and they thank them for it, the shot of them talking is redrawn in ''Legends of the Microns'' to have more posing than ''Armada''.
* Optimus's ending narration in ''Armada'' is the aftermath of Unicron's defeat, saying that Unicron has become powerless with the war over, and he and Galvatron have scattered across the universe. Optimus states that he's served his purpose now that Cybertron is safe and the Transformers live in peace with the Mini-Cons and mentions that if you see a peaceful star far away, it might be Cybertron. ''Legends of the Microns'' gives Optimus a more sincere narration that flows more with Unicron feeding off of hatred, with him talking about how even a battle fought for justice will always produce a degree of hate. However, to prevent Unicron's revival, you must have faith and a heart that ever seeks justice, and as long as you believe in that, anyone can become your comrade.

===Translation errors===
* After tossing out the Matrix before his final battle to the death against Galvatron, Optimus says, "I fight you not as the leader of the Autobots, but as the leader of all Transformers!" This uncharacteristic ego is totally at odds with Prime's stated motivations otherwise in the series; lo and behold, the original Japanese isn't him claiming sovereignty over his entire species, but rather stating that he's simply fighting Megatron as an individual Transformer, not as the Autobot commander.
* After the hole appears on Unicron's surface, Hot Shot orders the fleet, "It's time to shift into stealth mode!" They obviously do not do this, not remotely in any sense. In the original line, Hot Shot is simply ordering everyone to attack Unicron's moving parts.
* Jetfire tells Hot Shot, "Unicron's headed back to Cybertron!" This does not appear to be the case at all. In the original line, Jetfire correctly observes that Unicron is changing to his planet mode.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:ArmadaRhinoxTV.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"We never had any evil gods on prehistoric Earth."]]
* Optimus's busted truck wheel shrinks down considerably to fit inside Galvatron's cannon to jam it.
* There's an awkward silence when High Wire's eyes start glowing up, and he's supposed to talk when that happens. ''Legends of the Microns'' has High Wire say each kid's name when his eyes glow, so this error gets fixed.
* When Tidal Wave and his fleet show up to attack Unicron, he looks off-model and lacks detail(Notice the missing canons). ''Legends of the Microns'' entirely redraws him with a more accurate model and makes his animation less jagged (see above).
* When Hot Shot yells "Attack!" as Unicron transforms back into planet mode, the animation shows the Transformer fleet ''escaping'' (which would make sense), suggesting Hot Shot's line was a scripting error. ''Legends of the Microns'' has him say Optimus' name.
* Rhinox is colored like his original [[Rhinox (BW)/toys#TM1|Transmetal toy]] instead of his ''Armada'' toy.

===Continuity notes===
[[File:Armada 52 - Prime and no Matrix.jpg|thumb|How many Autobot [[insignia]]s does he have...?]]
* Does it seem like Alexis's hair grows slightly longer during the Unicron Battles?
* According to the ''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'', Optimus and Galvatron's final battle is settling their differences and answering the questions Sideways asked in the previous episode.
* Rhinox makes his only physical debut in the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]. [[Ask Vector Prime]] revealed in [[2015]] that Rhinox perished during the battle; Vector Prime also revealed that poor [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]]'s upgrades were left incomplete due to Rhinox's death.
* This episode is the first time in the series that characters bleed upon receiving damage. As Optimus and Galvatron duel, parts of Unicron's insides take damage, with slightly yellowish-white liquid pouring out. Later, as the Decepticon leader rips a pipe from Unicron's armor to use as a weapon, bright red liquid pours out from where the pipe used to be. Additionally, when Galvatron slices Prime's chest with his wrist blade, his wound is briefly highlighted with bright red.
* That was a strangely heroic sacrifice from Galvatron—''who knew he could be a good guy sometimes?'' More true to his character, his self-sacrifice isn't heroic in the Japanese dub.
* In the second-to-last shot, Prime returns to his original colors but hasn't reclaimed the Matrix, as his Matrix compartment is visibly empty during his transformation.
* This episode marks the last time [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]], [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]], [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]]—if you don't think [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' is the same one—[[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]], and [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] appear in the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]].
** This also marks the last time Billy and Fred appear in the Unicron Trilogy, as they don't return in ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' nor ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]''{{'}}s final episode. The reason is most likely because, according to the ''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'', the team never planned on making them staple cast members, and they only lasted this long since the team never got around to writing them out.
* Even with Galvatron sacrificing himself to remove evil from the universe, Unicron survived, marking the gateway to ''Energon''.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Since being deactivated, Unicron automatically reverts to planet mode as a defense mechanism.
** Grindor can fly in skateboard mode; "[[Base]]" and "[[Comrade]]" previously alluded to this ability.
** The Mini-Con super weapons seem able to fly, which seems to be a common feature among Mini-Con super weapons/Powerlinxed forms, as seen with the [[Magnawing]] in ''[[Linkage (comic)|Linkage]]'', the [[Energon Saber]] in ''Energon'', and the [[Umbral Blaster]] in the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron: Balancing Act|Cybertron]]'' comic.
** The Mini-Cons tap into the [[Linkage (dimension)|Linkage dimension]] to phase them and the kids through Unicron's armor.
** Galvatron hasn't used his antlers to attack anyone since he went by the name "Megatron" in "[[Swoop (episode)|Swoop]]." Additionally, while having been shown to be able to use them to create electrical currents, this is the first time he's used them to shock his opponent.
** Galvatron uses his wrist blade for the first and last time in this episode, using it twice.
** Optimus has ninja-like reflexes and can tip-toe on thin pipes—''what a badass.''
** Unicron can warp.

===Continuity errors===
* During the end of their duel, Galvatron strikes a metal pipe in Optimus's back, who tries to pull it out unsuccessfully in a later shot, after which the pipe completely disappears.

===Transformers references===
* [[Rhinox (Armada)|Rhinox]] is visible in the hangar during the raid against Unicron. Because of the unanticipated success of ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', he and the other ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' remolds were released, but they were unable to receive larger roles in [[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|the show]].

===Real-world references===
* The Autobot/Decepticon fighters flying and firing down Unicron's trenches are an obvious nod to ''{{w|Star Wars (film)|Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope}}'s'' [[Death Star]] trench run.

===Trivia===
[[File:Tf ml 01 52 comparison title card.jpg|upright=1.0|thumb|Time for kanji quiz, kids!]]
* The English dub of "Mortal Combat" first aired in the United Kingdom. It aired in the United States on [[December 12]], 2003.
* Unlike the previous 51 episodes, the title card in this episode's Japanese airing didn't have the usual alternate-reading {{w|furigana}} over the {{w|kanji}} title as seen on the right.
* This episode has some of the biggest differences in characterization and dialogue between the English and Japanese versions, particularly with Optimus and Galvatron, where the reason they are fighting is practically warped in the former version. Thus, many of their actions can appear unnatural and random compared to the Japanese dub, see above. Whether it's the case of the English dub's rushed schedule or wanting to simplify the themes for English viewers—like in "[[Trust (Armada)|Trust]]"—is still unknown.
* According to the ''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'':
** When the team finished making this episode, they all felt a sense of completion, like when Optimus sacrificed himself in "Crisis," and felt this series expanded the Transformers brand into a new direction, with it being slightly different from past iterations. The team also hopes that viewers can think about what they made.
** Optimus and Galvatron's final battle is perhaps the show's crowning achievement, nothing short of spectacular. ''And how!''
*** The fact that Optimus fights Galvatron with his fists and ingenuity, while Galvatron uses all the weapons at his disposal and his trump card knife proves Prime is the superior fighter.
** [[Munetaka Abe]]'s primary concern when animating was how to convey emotion with Optimus before the fight since he only has eyes, unlike Galvatron. Abe was also surprised when he heard about Optimus throwing the Matrix away in this episode.
** [[Hidehito Ueda]] thinks "trust" is the keyword of this series, so he wanted Optimus's last message in the episode to convey that and use it as a settlement for not only what Optimus endured throughout the show but what the team experienced while making it.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:* ''Title:'' "'''Unicrons Ende'''" ("Unicron's End")
:* ''Original airdate:'' [[January 16|16 January]] [[2004]]

'''Hungarian'''
:* ''Title:'' "'''A végső csata'''" ("The Final Battle")

'''Italian'''
:* ''Title:'' "'''L'ultima battaglia'''" ("The Last Battle")

'''Portuguese'''
:* ''Title:'' "'''Combate Mortal'''" ("Mortal Combat")
{{--}}

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Legends of the Microns'' — Volume 13 ([[Columbia Music Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Season One: Part Two ([[Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — The Collector's Edition ([[Universal]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Volume Two ([[New KSM]]) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Studios]])

[[Category:Armada episodes]]

Darkness (episode)

2025-01-24T18:02:51Z

TheFurbit: /* Differences with Galaxy Force */ I can't believe I'm the only one who's aware of that bio

{{disambig2|the ''Cybertron'' episode|the mysterious energy from the [[2005 IDW continuity]]|Darkness (G1)}}

{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=33
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=34
|title="Darkness"
|japanese=暗黒からの逆襲
|romaji=Ankoku kara no Gyakushū
|translation=Counterattack from the Darkness
|image=Cyb ep33 am i a ghost.jpg
|caption= Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Kazuhisa Sakaguchi]]
|director=[[Atsushi Nakayama]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]], Radix
|airdate=[[August 27]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[September 5]], [[2006]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron is back, and his mysterious dark powers give birth to two new threats!'''

==Synopsis==

[[File:Cyb ep33 dark crumplezone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|For once, Crumplezone actually manages to look menacing.]]

In the sky above [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the deceased [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] has reappeared as an ethereal image, his ghostly body enshrouded by an enigmatic black fog. Even Megatron himself is unaware of what has befallen him, but he impassively descends to the planet's surface as the [[Autobot]]s look on. [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] and the [[Cybertron Defense Team (Cybertron)|Cybertron Defense Team]] follow the spectral Decepticon's descent, and watch as he approaches [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] and the fatally wounded [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]]. As he glides towards his former followers, a lone [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] crests a nearby building and starts firing at him. The creature only succeeds in drawing Megatron's attention, as its shots disappear into the fog surrounding him. The Scrapmetal lunges at Megatron instead, only to wind up being dissolved and absorbed by the mysterious mist. Megatron returns his attention to the fallen Crumplezone, and immerses the wounded Decepticon in his fog, repairing and reformatting him into a powerful new form. While Crumplezone puts his new power to use attacking his old racing rivals Override and [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]], Megatron realizes that the black fog is a product of his [[Armor of Unicron]], which has preserved him after his death—and made him stronger than ever!

Simultaneously, [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] informs [[Vector Prime]] that he has lost contact with the [[Recon Mini-Con Team]], and the elderly Autobot returns to headquarters to investigate. Consulting the security recordings, he discovers that [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] has kidnapped the Mini-Cons, and that the kids leapt through his warp field in pursuit. He informs [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] of this development, but Prime is caught up battling [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] and can do nothing to help.

[[File:Cyb ep33 good kitty.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|And [[Ravage (disambiguation)|Ravage]]s across the [[Continuity|multiverse]] began hissing uncontrollably.]]

The other Autobots, meanwhile, are engaged in battles of their own. While [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] faces off against [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] and his latest (surprisingly effective) "super move", and Crumplezone continues to harass Override, the rest of the heroes are firing upon Megatron, to absolutely no effect. Seeing that the Decepticons have been galvanized by the return of their leader, [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] is determined to take Megatron down, and lunges at him in lion mode. He slashes at the black fog with his [[Cyber Key]]-powered claws, which causes a very unexpected reaction: the fog recedes, and Megatron stands triumphantly before the Autobots, reborn! At Megatron's command, the last remnants of the fog surround Leobreaker, and although the Autobot is able to leap clear, the fog has taken from him what it needs, and coalesces into a dark duplicate of Leobreaker himself! Megatron introduces the dark clone as "[[Nemesis Breaker]]", explaining that he has been created from Leobreaker's own dark side. The two lion 'bots engage in a brief battle, which Megatron then stops so that he can reveal Nemesis Breaker's ultimate power: the ability to combine with Megatron in Dark Claw Mode!

[[File:Cyb ep33 dark claw mode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Giving the phrase "strong-armed" a whole new meaning.]]

At Autobot headquarters, [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] and [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] have joined Vector Prime to try and help him track down the kids and Mini-Cons. Scattorshot complains about the fact that he gave [[Coby Hansen|Coby]] an Autobot communicator, and yet the boy is not using it. Little does Scattorshot realize, however, that using the communicator is paramount in Coby's mind—he's just having trouble getting his hands on it, as it and the kids are all floating around in zero gravity in [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s hideout!

Back on Cybertron, Optimus Prime breaks off his fight with Scourge and separates from [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] so that he and Leobreaker can merge into Savage Claw Mode to battle Megatron and Nemesis Breaker. After a brief comedy interlude in which Hot Shot finally takes out the reborn Crumplezone (who, as it turns out, really isn't any tougher than he was before), the two leaders get down to business, and their Cyber Key-powered attacks collide in an explosion so indescribably massive that it can be seen from space. When Optimus comes to afterwards, he discovers that Megatron and the Decepticons have disappeared. Wing Saber is quick to locate the villains from the air: they have used the cover of the explosion to make a break for the [[Omega Lock]]! The Autobots transform and immediately give chase, and the race is on!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Vector Prime]] (1)
*[[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (2)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (7)
*[[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (8)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (9)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (10)
*[[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] (11)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (14)
*[[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] (16)
*[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (17)
*[[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (18)
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (19)
*[[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (23)
*[[Six-Speed (Cybertron)|Six-Speed]] (24)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (26)
*[[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (28)

|c2=
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (4)
*[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (5)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (6)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (12)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (13)
*[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (15)
*[[Nemesis Breaker]] (27)

|c3=
*[[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] (20)
*[[Bud Hansen]] (21)
*[[Coby Hansen]] (22)

|c4=
*[[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] (14)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (25)
*[[Primus]] (29)

}}

==Quotes==

"Crumplezone! Hang in there, big guy! We haven't even learned how to play the violin! Waaaaaaah!"
:—'''Ransack''' on Crumplezone's death.

"Crumplezone! Oh, the horror! Oh, JEEZ! That's gotta hurt! Oh, man! WOW! Where did THOSE come from? The humanity of it all!"
:—'''Ransack''' on Crumplezone's rebirth.

"Hey Ransack! How's it going, little buddy?" 
"F-f-fine. How 'bout you?" 
"Are you kiddin'? I never felt ''better''."
:—The reborn '''Crumplezone''''s first words to '''Ransack'''

"THAT DECEPTI-CAT IS GONNA GET NEUTERED!"
:—'''Leobreaker''' on his doppelganger.

"Enough with the comic relief!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' on Ransack and Crumplezone!

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
*''Galaxy Force'' includes a "previously on" segment summarizing the events of "[[Balance]]".
*In ''Galaxy Force'', the black fog is not explained, since Master Megatron's bio already stated that he gained Unicron's power. ''Cybertron'' attempts to directly explain it as the "shadow spark" of Unicron, the power of the [[Armor of Unicron]] that Megatron wears.
*As Leobreaker charges to attack the spectral visage of Megatron, Snarl, in ''Cybertron'', reminds Leobreaker to use his Cyber Key power-up first, whereas in ''Galaxy Force'' he takes a much less reckless approach and instead warns his fellow animal-bot that it is too dangerous to engage Megatron, since they have no idea what they're dealing with.
*In ''Galaxy Force'', Megatron notes that one of Leobreaker's dark thoughts from which Nemesis Breaker was created is his resentment of Optimus Prime for ignoring their combination and favoring Wing Saber instead. ''Cybertron'' omits this specific point.
*In ''Cybertron'', Vector Prime notes that Starscream's island base on Earth has been "cleared out". In ''Galaxy Force'', the island is said to have actually collapsed.

===Animation errors===
*As Megatron's "ghost" descends on Cybertron at the beginning of the episode, Override and Scattorshot transform and head towards him. However, in the next scene, Override is seen with Hot Shot and Red Alert instead.
*Implausible viewpoints: The "security footage" reviewed by Vector Prime is just the final moments of [[Balance|the previous episode]], which leads to some camera placement issues.
*A small animation cheat occurs as Ransack and the newly minted Dark Crumplezone attack Hot Shot and Override. When the partners in grime charge the Autobots, they're in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], but when Dark Crumplezone activates his "Dark Bazooka" attack, he's in [[robot mode]]! After the Autobots are blown into the distance, Ransack is also shown in robot mode, despite never being shown to transform. Not necessarily an error, but certainly a bit of laziness here.
*Speaking of bizarre animation, when Crumplezone sneers "What's the matter, Override?", a panel in his exhaust port clips in and out of the scene, making it seem like he's literally speaking through his rear!

===Transformers references===
*Wing Saber says that Megatron is making for the Omega Lock "like a 'bot outta [[Chaar]]"!
*[[Starscream (G1)|Another]] [[Rampage (BW)|indestructible]] spark?

===Real-world references===
*Of course, Wing Saber's above mentioned quote also paraphrases the common turn of phrase, "like a bat out of hell".
*When chasing Override and Hot Shot, Crumplezone's taunt, "Override, come out and play-ay!" is a clear reference to Luther's taunt, "Warriors, come out to play-ay!" from ''{{w|The Warriors (film)|The Warriors}}''.

===Trivia===
*This episode did not premiere until nearly five months after the previous one. By the time "Darkness" was finally aired, ''Cybertron'' had been relegated to the unenviable 6am "death slot" on [[Cartoon Network]], where new episodes would premiere every weekday morning for the remainder of the month, bringing the series to a conclusion nearly a year after its Japanese broadcast ended.
*This episode would later be combined with "[[United (episode)|United]]", "[[Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron]]" and "[[Balance]]" to create the TV "movie" special, "[[Primus Unleashed (TV special)|Primus Unleashed]]".
*After reformatting Crumplezone, Megatron notes that he has remade him in his own image. This may possibly be the source of his ultimate goal in "[[End]]".
*While he is introduced a bit late in the game, more than halfway through the series, Nemesis Breaker, or something like him, must have been planned from the beginning, as evidenced by the combination ports in Megatron's arms.
*Despite being a [[redeco]] of Leobreaker, Nemesis Breaker has all-new stock footage sequences for combining with Megatron and activating Dark Claw Mode's Cyber Key power.
*Keeping up the whole "dark mirror" angle with Nemesis Breaker, the evil lion's transformation into arm mode is the reverse of Leobreaker's, first folding up his legs, detaching his forearms one at a time, then folding up his upper body, retracting his robot head, and finally attaching the new fist to the folded-up legs (the only part of the transformation similar to Leobreaker, for obvious reasons). Nemesis Breaker also replaces Megatron's left arm, as opposed to Leobreaker replacing Optimus' right arm. The camera angles for the transformation sequence are even switched around.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 09 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Balance

2025-01-07T19:49:07Z

TheFurbit: /* Differences with Galaxy Force */ "Like Galaxy Convoy, someone who inherited the Matrix sealed the evil god."

{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=32
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=33
|title="Balance"
|japanese=よみがえった巨大神
|romaji=Yomigaetta Kyodaishin
|translation=The Revived Giant God
|image=Cyb_ep32_balance.jpg
|caption=You must watch Book 4 of ''The Legend of Korra''.
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Hiro Masaki]]
|director=[[Mitsuru Kawasaki]], [[Kenji Setō]] (asst. dir.)
|animation studio=[[GONZO]]
|airdate=[[August 20]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[April 15]], [[2006]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''Primus speaks, and ancient history is revealed, as is the location of the fourth and final Cyber Planet Key.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Jolt-avatar.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Surprisingly enough, there was never a Takara-made Lucky Draw toy of this.]]

[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has transformed into the body of [[Primus]], the [[Autobot]]s have returned to its (his?) surface to try and communicate with their creator directly. While [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], [[Coby Hansen|Coby]], [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] and [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] survey from above, the other Autobots set up the necessary machinery, hooking up [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] to the system on the basis that he was the one who channelled Primus in the past. The equipment is turned on, and as [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus]] invokes Primus, Jolt glows golden and begins to float, and Primus begins to speak through him. Primus explains the history of the [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]] to his children, detailing how good and evil must always be in balance. The destruction of the ultimate evil, [[Unicron]], has disrupted that balance, distorting space and time and creating the black hole. [[Bud Hansen|Bud]] has trouble grasping the concept of balancing forces, so [[Coby Hansen|Coby]] illustrates it to him with a coin.

[[File:Cyb ep32 sideways n screamer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]

Primus goes on to explain that only he can close the black hole, but that his [[spark]] must be fully restored first by placing all four [[Cyber Planet Key]]s and putting them in the Omega Lock. Alas, the Autobots only have three Keys so far, and as [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] points out, even the Decepticons have not been able to locate the fourth, and ''they'' have the [[Planet Map]]. Primus answers their request for information indirectly, by first telling them of the [[space bridge]] project carried out by the [[ancient]]s. [[Ogygia (Cybertron)|Four]] [[Hyperborea (Cybertron)|great]] [[Lemuria (Cybertron)|starships]], including the ''[[Atlantis]]'', were sent out in to the universe, each carrying a Cyber Planet Key, but the entire planetary system that the fourth colony ship departed for was caught in a wormhole and transported to another universe, which is why no-one has yet been able to locate the fourth Key. Primus's energy levels begin dropping (a consequence of Starscream's earlier absorption of much of his power), and before the god drifts back into slumber, he names the fourth planet: [[Gigantion]], home world of [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] and the [[Recon Mini-Con Team]]!

Unbeknownst to any of the Autobots, this divine wisdom has all been eavesdropped on by [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]]. He warps away, departing Cybertron and rematerializing in a shadowy, unknown location, where lies the body of [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who Sideways spirited away after his defeat at the hands of Optimus Prime. Starscream awakens, and is greeted by Sideways, who assures him that things have just gotten very interesting indeed.

[[File:Decepticpile-Balance.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|Thunderblast likes to watch.]]

Back on Cybertron, the Autobots ask Jolt for the location of Gigantion, but the Mini-Con is, alas, unable to answer their question. He and Vector Prime explain that the Mini-Cons were accidentally launched into space aboard a shuttle when they were playing hide-and-seek in it, and were found and saved by Vector Prime. Red Alert thinks he can dig data on Gigantion's location out of Jolt's memory banks, though Jolt is not thrilled about the prospect of having his brain looked into.

In the field of debris surrounding Cybertron, [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] looks at the transformed body of Primus, and offers up a brief eulogy for Megatron before turning to the other [[Decepticon]]s and announcing that he is their leader now. Naturally, everyone starts fighting over who should take leadership, save for [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], who ducks behind an asteroid. As the one-sided battle rages, with Scourge thoroughly stomping the other Decepticons, Starscream and Sideways fly by overhead, and Thunderblast looks up at them, musing that maybe leaving Starscream was a mistake...

[[File:Primus-Starscream-GUNS.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|RAAAAAAIIIID?!]]

Back on Cybertron, Red Alert is scanning Jolt, and makes the surprising discovery that his brain is more like that of a [[human]] than a [[Transformer]] (that explains why Jolt and other Mini-Cons communicates with children that easily), which means it will take longer to analyze. The scan is halted by the sound of an alarm, alerting our heroes to the approach of Starscream and Sideways, who land on the planet with the intention of taking the Omega Lock. The Autobots mobilize quickly, and Optimus and Wing Saber combine into Sonic Wing Mode, and the other Decepticons soon arrive to join the fight. Using the Decepticons' arrival as a distraction, Starscream jets away with the deluded intention of finishing off Primus, and fires his cannons right at the deity's face. Much to the shock of the assembled combatants, Primus's hand moves, blocking the shots, then swatting Starscream away. Starscream keeps trying to attack Primus, causing everyone observing the fight to doubt his sanity, while Scourge avails of everyone's preoccupation to attack Optimus and begin another round of fighting. This is, again, short-lived, as everyone stops fighting to marvel as Primus unsheathes a pair of colossal cannons to knock Starscream well and truly out of the fight. Hit dead-on by the cannon blast, Starscream is hurled away, and drops the Planet Map straight into the hands of the waiting Vector Prime.

[[File:Cyb ep32 ghost of megs.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2]]

Elsewhere on the surface, [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] are sneaking around, trying to get a good position to shoot somebody in the back. Just then, a cluster of [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] suddenly attack, and Crumplezone is swarmed by the insect-bots. Much to Ransack and [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'s horror, Crumplezone is buried beneath the Scrapmetal and destroyed when they cause his body to explode. The odds against them, the other Decepticons start beating a retreat, but are stopped cold when, floating in the sky above them, the ghostly shadow-image of the deceased Megatron appears!

And in the Autobot base, the kids react to Megatron's reappearance, with Coby responding very badly to Bud's suggestion that Megatron is a ghost. Then, they realize that the Mini-Cons are missing...because Sideways has warped into the building, and has nabbed them! The enigmatic 'bot warps away, but the kids leap into his warp-field before it dissipates, and reappear, floating in zero-gravity, in an unknown location...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (1)
*[[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (3)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (4)
*[[Vector Prime]] (6)
*[[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (7)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (8)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (12)
*[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (13)
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (14)
*[[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (15)
*[[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (16)
*[[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] (17)
*[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (18)
*[[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (19)
*[[Six-Speed (Cybertron)|Six-Speed]] (20)
*[[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] (21)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (23)
*[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (24)
*[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (25)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (26)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (27)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (28)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (30)

|c3=
*[[Coby Hansen]] (2)
*[[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] (10)
*[[Bud Hansen]] (11)

|c4=
*[[Primus]] (5)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (22)
*[[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] (29)
}}

==Quotes==
"He's the ''creator''! We're ''standing'' on him with our dirty feet!" 
"I sure hope we don't get smited for this!"
:—'''Leobreaker''' and '''Landmine'''

"Optimus Prime, you and the Autobots defeated the evil Unicron." 
"We kicked his planet-eatin' ''butt'' is what we did!"
:—'''Primus''' and '''Leobreaker'''

"Now hold steady. You may feel a ''slight'' sting but don't worry." 
"Gu-huh?" 
"I'm ''fairly'' certain I can put you back together again..." 
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
:—'''Red Alert''' and '''Jolt'''

''[after being knocked away by Primus's hand]'' 
"That wasn't...so...bad...''*recovers and transforms*'' Ha! Very interesting. This might actually be half a challenge! And I HATE a challenge!"
:—'''Starscream''' is disturbingly confident in attacking ''the creator of Transformerkind''.

"Hey! Put the Mini-Cons down!" 
"Ooh, I'm so scared of you I think I'll run away! See ya!"
:—'''Coby''' fails to intimidate the Mini-Con-swiping '''Sideways'''

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
*During Primus's explanation in ''Galaxy Force'', Unicron is not referred to by name, with only an "evil god" (邪神 ''jashin'') being spoken of instead. The defeat of this evil god is not detailed, save for a very vague summary of events that describes his being sealed away by a previous Matrix holder.
*''Galaxy Force'' sees Sideways offer up a more thorough explanation for Megatron's demise in the previous episode. See, he was hit with a blast from the Cyber Planet Keys, which are designed to bring life to planets, which is to say, to create something from nothing, so, like, that means they can... also... make nothing... from... something... and... that's why Megatron's dead? Yeeeah, ''Cybertron'' sticks to its guns of him just being blown up because he got blasted.

===Animation or technical errors===
*At Autobase, Wing Saber asks the Mini-Cons about their being adrift in space with Evac's voice.
*As Scourge decides to "throw" the other Decepticons into action, he speaks in his [[robot mode]] voice, despite being in dragon mode.
*Conversely, when Thundercracker calls Scourge to tell him they should run away (having witnessed Crumplezone's death at the claws of a Scrapmetal swarm), Scourge replies using his deeper [[beast mode|dragon mode]] voice, even though he's in robot mode.
*When Thunderblast starts running, though Evac is in the scene, he seems to be talking with Wing Saber's voice, a reversal from before. Of course, we don't see his face, so maybe Wing Saber's off-camera.

===Continuity or plotting errors===
*Sideways has ''never'' left a visible residual warp field behind him when he has teleported before, only doing so now because the plot demands it.
*Primus references the Autobots' defeat of Unicron. "We kicked his evil butt is what we did!" says Leobreaker... despite not actually being there when it happened.

===Continuity notes===
*Jolt previously acted as a conduit for Primus in "[[Trap]]".
*Jolt casually mentioned that he and the Mini-Cons weren't originally from Cybertron in "[[Revelation (episode)|Revelation]]".
*As Starscream and Sideways approach Primus, the latter quips that someone seems to have stolen much of the god's spark already. Starscream himself is behind this, having absorbed a portion of Primus' power [[Revelation (episode)|during]] [[Critical|his]] [[Assault|time]] [[Starscream (episode)|on Earth]]. He'll steal even more in [[Titans|a later episode]].
*Megatron was destroyed in [[Cybertron (episode)|the previous episode]].
*Coby's fear of ghosts and other creepy things was established back in "[[Speed]]".
*The Autobots and kids retreat under a protective dome forcefield, first seen in the previous episode, probably to protect the kids from Cybertron's foreign atmosphere, although this hasn't been explicitly stated.
*As seen in the previous episode, the Omega Lock, now blown up to gargantuan proportions and apparently fused to Primus' back, is still missing the three Cyber Planet Keys that had previously been found and installed.

===Transformers references===
[[File:Cyb-WiseElders.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Splunge for me, sir!]]
*In glowing gold and floating as he acts as a conduit for Primus, Jolt recalls [[Xaaron|Emirate Xaaron]] doing the same thing from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel Comics series]].
*So the red force represents good, and the purple force represents evil, hm? A nod to the colors of the Autobot and Decepticon faction sigils, perhaps? ''Naaaaaaaaaaaah'', coincidence, surely.
*The "wise elders" shown use the animation models of [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]'s [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (although Jazz would appear to have shoulder-doors, which he didn't in the original 'toon. His original toy, however, does have them).
*[[Starscream's Brigade|Starscream never knows when to quit]].
{{-}}

===Trivia===
[[File:Gigantion-Ancient.jpg|thumb|"Normaltion" doesn't have that same "oomph".]]
*Gigantion, as it appears in this flashback, is ''way'' smaller than in later "present day" episodes. This would indicate (though it's never stated explicitly) that Gigantion's super-sizing occurred after it was pulled into the alternate universe.
*The "Mini-Con brains are more like humans" bit — intentionally or not — recalls the ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' cartoon, where humans and Mini-Cons are linked together, which is elaborated on a bit more in the [[Linkage (comic)|"Linkage" mini-comics]]. In the ''Armada'' cartoon, Mini-Cons acquired souls and free wills thanks to an encounter with three time-displaced human children. The reason for the Mini-Con's human-like brains in ''Cybertron'' will be expanded on (very vaguely) in later episodes.
*This episode was the last to premiere on [[Cartoon Network]]'s [[Toonami]] block, and the last episode broadcast for several months. When the series returned after a five-month hiatus, it was relegated to the 6am slot on the channel, where it would premiere new episodes daily until the series ended.
*This episode would later be combined with "[[United (episode)|United]]", "[[Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron]]", and "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]" to create the TV "movie" special, "[[Primus Unleashed (TV special)|Primus Unleashed]]".
*While many animated series avoided the third rail of writing religion into the fabric of a series' backstory, both ''Galaxy Force'' and, more amazingly, ''Cybertron'' retained this aspect, each with characters referring to Primus as "Creator" and worrying about receiving divine retribution for disturbing him.
*Crumplezone has been blasted, pounded, beaten senseless, run over, and flattened like a pancake. Twice. To have him give up the ghost after a few seconds of being swarmed by Scrapmetals is remarkable to say the least.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 09 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Titans

2025-01-07T19:46:43Z

TheFurbit: /* Differences with Galaxy Force */ "Focusing the Spark in his chest" and "Restoring the flow of the Spark" How is a spark not something like that? Plus, there's a track playing in the Galaxy Force version as well.

{{disambig3|Titan}}
{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=37
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=38
|title="Titans"
|japanese=激突! 砕け散る野望
|romaji=Gekitotsu! Kudakechi no Yabō
|translation=Clash! The Crushed Ambition
|image=Cyb_ep37_war_of_the_worlds.jpg
|caption=When there's trouble you know who to call.
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Gyō Yamatoya]]
|director=[[Megumi Sakai]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]], Office Take Off
|airdate=[[September 24]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[September 11]], [[2006]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''The Autobots' attempt to reactivate Primus leads to a literal war of the worlds!'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Cyb ep37 bud welding.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|The moral of this story is that it's okay to deface public property.]]

Somewhere in space, aboard the ''[[Atlantis]]'' starship, [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] is feeling very pleased with himself for gaining so much ground in the race for the fourth [[Cyber Planet Key]]. However, [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] warns that they shouldn't let their guard down, but neither he nor Starscream is aware of how right he is to be so cautious. Unbeknownst to them, elsewhere in the massive ship, the stranded [[Bud Hansen|Bud]], [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] and [[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] are doing their part to help the other [[Autobot]]s track them down. Unable to use his communicator since Starscream would detect the transmission, Bud uses a welding torch to sear the Autobot [[insignia]] into chunks of metal, which the Mini-Cons then jettison through the trash chute, leaving a proverbial trail of breadcrumbs in the ''Atlantis''{{'}}s wake.

Meanwhile, the Autobots on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] are working on a plan of their own, as they try to figure out a way to combine [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] with the three [[Cyber Planet Key]]s they have acquired to stabilize the [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]] before they depart for [[Gigantion]]. But, of course, they have to ''find'' Gigantion first, and [[Vector Prime]] is hard at work studying the [[Planet Map]], trying to pinpoint the gateway that will lead them to the alternate universe in which the planet lies.

[[File:Cyb ep37 meet soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Ellis, I think we have just discovered the Cheeseburger Apocalypse!]]

[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] and [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] have been assigned to search space for the ''Atlantis'' and are soon lucky enough to stumble across Bud's marked garbage. Unfortunately for the two Autobots, [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] spies on them as they follow Bud's trail back to the ''Atlantis'', and she soon leads [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and the other [[Decepticon]]s after them. As the two heroes try to deal with both the firepower of the ''Atlantis'' and the threat of Megatron's Decepticons, Sideways powers up the ship's warp drive and teleports the ''Atlantis'' away before Jetfire can get Bud and the [[Mini-Con]]s off it. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of the ship's other unwilling passengers; Decepticon stowaways [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] disembark and rejoin Megatron's forces before the ship vanishes. However, Megatron randomly blasts Ransack in anger over losing the ''Atlantis''. Wing Saber and Jetfire quickly depart to restart their search, and as such, they are not around to witness the sudden arrival of an enigmatic new robot, who introduces himself as [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]] and informs the Decepticons that he can lead them to Gigantion...

[[File:Cyb ep37 gimmie that spark.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Back on Cybertron, Optimus Prime receives Jetfire's disappointing report with sadness, but [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] announcing that they've completed setting up the equipment forces him to put such thoughts from his mind. Using the Matrix to activate the [[Omega Lock]], Optimus can re-energize Primus, who silently focuses the entirety of his power into a beam that he shoots directly into the heart of the black hole. With the beam holding steady, things are looking good... until the ''Atlantis'' suddenly warps into view above the beam. Having sensed Primus's reactivation from across the galaxy, Starscream has arrived to finish the job he started on Earth. The treacherous Decepticon dives headlong into Primus's beam of energy and begins absorbing the power of his [[spark]]. As the horrified Autobots watch, Primus's power transforms Starscream into a cosmic titan the size of a planet!

[[File:Cyb ep37 primus cannons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Primus Guns, fire!]]
When Coby sees the ''Atlantis'' floating past, he immediately runs to leave the room, knowing his brother is on the ship. Optimus Prime stops him and talks some sense into him; after all, what can he do with a planet-sized Starscream in the way? With Coby reined in, the Autobots rush into action, quickly erecting an energy shield to protect Primus's immobile body from the attacks that the gargantuan Starscream immediately begins unleashing upon their creator. Dragging cables and equipment with them as they run from sector to sector, the Autobots are forced to redistribute the flow of power throughout Primus's body, shutting down the black hole-stabilizing beam in an attempt to restore the god's mobility. At the last second, just after Starscream shatters the shield and unleashes a blast from his [[Cyber Key]]-powered cannon, the final connection is made, and Primus springs into life, deflecting Starscream's shot with a wave of his open palm.

[[File:Cyb ep37 moon maces.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|EPIC FLAIL!]]
Primus calls upon a Cyber Key of his own, activating giant cannons in his forearms, but Starscream can detonate his blasts with a swipe of his arm and remains undeterred. Nobody is ready for Primus's next impressive move, however: projecting beams of energy from his hands, Primus lassos ''his own moons'', transforming the two satellites into planetary-scale flails which he uses to pummel Starscream mercilessly. A series of irresistible blows from these moon-flails sends Starscream slamming into a nearby rocky planetary body, which actually ''explodes'' from the impact. The cosmic explosion consumes Starscream, and his energy drained, shrinks back down to his prior height. As his charred body floats amidst the remains of the planet, and he weakly vows to continue reaching for power, Sideways steers the ''Atlantis'' nearby and activates its warp system, teleporting Starscream away alongside it.

On Primus's surface, Coby collapses in tears at the sight of the ''Atlantis'' disappearing, taking Bud with it. The Autobots are silent as the boy cries when suddenly, Vector Prime bursts into the room with the news that will change everything: he has located the gate to Gigantion!
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (4)
*[[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (5)
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (7)
*[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (8)
*[[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (11)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (12)
*[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (13)
*[[Vector Prime]] (14)
*[[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (15)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (16)
*[[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (17)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (18)
*[[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] (27)
*[[Six-Speed (Cybertron)|Six-Speed]] (28)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (29)
*[[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (30)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (2)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (19)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (20)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (21)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (22)
*[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (23)
*[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (24)

|c3=
*[[Bud Hansen]] (3)
*[[Coby Hansen]] (9)
*[[Lori Jiménez]] (10)

|c4=
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (1)
*[[Primus]] (6)
*[[Laserbeak (Cybertron)|Laserbeak]] (25)
*[[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]] (26)
}}

==Quotes==
"The power! ''So'' much power! With all this power flowing through me, I fear ''nothing!'' Not even '''Primus!'''"
:—'''Starscream''', after growing to planet-size.

"Yeah, Primus! Moon that loser!"
:—'''Coby''' made a pun!

"MOMMAAAA!!!"
:— '''Starscream''', about to get owned by Primus.

"This... is... not the end of me... even if I have to bear the unbearable... I'll keep reaching... and soon... I will hold the universe in my hands..."
:—'''Starscream''', after taking a beating from Primus.

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
*''Galaxy Force'' includes a "previously on" segment summarizing the events of "[[Family]]."
*In ''Cybertron'', Optimus worries about Coby and Lori, considering how hard they're working and wishing he could do more to help them. In ''Galaxy Force'', he is regretful that he can only spare Jetfire and Wing Saber to go out and search for the ''Atlantis'' and Bud and is concerned with Wing Saber and Jetfire's ability to work together in their search.
*Wing Saber tells Jetfire he doesn't want to go sneaking around in the ''Atlantis'' looking for Bud because he is more of a smash and bash fighter in ''Cybertron''. In ''Galaxy Force'', he scoffs at the idea of doing such "petty work" like searching for a kid. What a snob!
*In ''Galaxy Force'', no sound leaves Primus's mouth.
*''Cybertron'' doesn't mention where Coby and Lori's new clothes originate; however, [[Gloria Jiménez|Lori's mother]] mentioned packing them in the previous episode of ''Galaxy Force''. It's the same case when Bud gets his new clothes in "[[City]]."

===Animation or technical glitches===
*As he and Crumplezone recline in the ''Atlantis'', Ransack is missing the black "mask" that normally surrounds his eyes.
*When Megatron attacks Atlantis, Wing Saber says that he'll take care of Megatron's minions and points at Jetfire, then points at himself and tells Jetfire to rescue Bud.
*When Lori says, "They're enormous," referring to Primus's moon flails, her mouth is oddly on the side of her face, leaving her lips from the side view intact. Of course, this is a classic anime visual, but it still looks odd.

===Continuity notes===
*Coby and Lori both start wearing new clothes in this episode, which they will wear for the rest of the series.
*Speaking of Coby and Lori, they sure do a lot of snuggling in this episode, as he catches her when she falls and then doesn't let her go for, like, five minutes. It's one of the first actual hints (Lori's nervous laughter at the notion of their getting married in the previous episode being another) of the romance that will eventually bloom between the two characters.

===Continuity errors===
*When the Atlantis warps away, Wing Saber suggests to Jetfire that they hurry and keep searching for the ship, coming across as ridiculous since we've seen the ''Atlantis'' easily warp across the ''entire galaxy'', so how can randomly flying around have any chance of locating it again? ''Galaxy Force'' makes more sense here by having Wing Saber include an explanation that it was an "express warp" (not sure what about it led him to that realization), meaning the ship couldn't have traveled very far. Thus, if they hurry, they could comb the surrounding area and re-find it.
*So, how exactly does blasting a black hole with energy work? Wouldn't it, you know, make it bigger?
*If ALL of Primus's energy was focused into the beam generator on his chest, where did the massive amount of energy needed to raise ''powerful shields over a whole stinkin' planet'' come from?
*Upon Starscream's defeat, ''Cybertron'' has Sideways comment, "Guess I'm in business for myself!" which is nonsense because he picks up Starscream; plus, they're still working together in the next episode. ''Galaxy Force'' only has him say it's time for a retreat.

===Real-world references===
*Upon witnessing Starscream and Primus's battle, Scattorshot exclaims, "Talk about when worlds collide!", referring to the 1932 science fiction novel {{w|When Worlds Collide|of the same name}}.

===Trivia===
*''Galaxy Force'' introduces its fifth and final [[Title sequence#Title sequence .235|opening sequence]] with this episode.
*When Starscream becomes planet-sized, he and Primus are in toy scale; both toys were released in Supreme class size, and Starscream came complete with a giant crown!

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 10 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]