Transformer romance
Some will vehemently insist it does not exist. Others really don't care about the brand beyond it. Regardless of opinions, Transformers engaging in or pursuing interaction of a romantic nature is a well-established element in pretty much every continuity. For the most part, Transformers are observed searching for partners amongst their own kind, but attraction to either organic lifeforms or non-living objects is documented as well.
It is at times wondered why a species that does not reproduce sexually would participate in behavior that in other creatures exists as a means to promote sex and thereby new life. While a definitive answer to this has yet to be given, the question as to why Transformers become romantically involved with one another can be approached from a different angle. Transformers are a highly social species. This is shown through their ability to form a society, many examples of interaction and even the common practice of co-dependent body-types. If it is not frowned upon that such relations exist among them, then why should the romantic kind be regarded much differently, if at all? As much as there is no reason for them to engage in romance, there is equally no reason for them not to.
Though rather obscure, there ís a term for Transformers in a relation: "sparkmates". A fan term mostly, it has surprisingly been used in two official sources, namely the end-of-game bio for Airazor, in reference to her and Tigatron, in the Nintendo 64 version of the Beast Wars Transmetals video game[1] and again in Venus.
Sexuality
One of the most controversial aspects of Transformers is the idea of sexuality. While it is established in most continuities that Transformers do not reproduce sexually, most continuities nonetheless have distinctive male and female characters.
Despite their likely non-sexual means of reproduction. Harder to explain (at least, in fiction) is why most of these romantic connections are between males and females, what with the ratio female:male being about 1:10 in its most charitable instances.
Regardless of the whys and wherefores many romantic male-female Transformer pairings have appeared over the years, including:
The fact that most of these pairings are between nominally-male robots and apparently-female fleshlings can in part be blamed on the scarcity of female Transformers. (The default assumption of heterosexuality is also part of it; the day when we have a canonical gay robot-fleshling romance in Transformers is probably still a long way off, although Magnificus and Ga'mede are pretty danged slashy. We've already got robot-robot and human-human pairings, so why not?)
The G1 cartoon brought the first official female Transformers into the canon, including Elita One and Arcee. The characters are noticeably more feminine in design and some have clearly defined romantic relationships with male Autobots.
The issue becomes more complicated in Beast Wars, where the sexuality line is clearly defined. (Blackarachnia has a particularly well defined female figure, including what appears to be an ample bosom) It is hinted on occasion that the robots may engage in activities resembling human sex acts. Rattrap offers to take Silverbolt to what sounds like a Cybertronian version of a strip club, and later slyly makes a double entendre regarding Silverbolt's suspected kinky activities with Predacon Blackarachnia. The Agenda (Part 1) In the Japanese Metals dub, Rattrap, thinking himself about to be stabbed by Dinobot, asks him to "be gentle, because I've heard the first time can hurt."
In the original Japanese version of Energon, Mirage displays romantic interest in Galvatron, causing his comrades to regard him with minor confusion. The Energon dub seemed to do its best to skirt around this issue, with Mirage's exclamations either being about different things entirely or simple cheering on of his leader—but they couldn't do anything about the hands-clasped-beside-his-head-while-doe-eyed expressions, or the one time that he pirouettes and strikes a pose while surrounded by a giant, glowing, pink heart. Why, Japan?
Transformer - Transformer
Most commonly, Transformers stick to their own kind when engaging in
Examples
Generation 1
- Elita One (Ariel) - Optimus Prime (Orion Pax)
- Arcee - Springer
- Arcee - Chromedome The Headmasters
- Arcee (she gets around) - Bumblebee G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
- Octane once tried to tune in an image of a disturbingly sexualized unnamed female robot. Make of that what you will. Starscream's Ghost
- Devcon found himself some pleasant company on Spaceport CSSB-16. Disclosure
- San D-Go once had plans to marry Discharge, apparently directly inspired by that aspect of human culture. Whether there was an actual romantic relationship involved is unknown. San D-Go's Micromaster Collection toy bio
- Overkill is planning on getting himself a whole harem of girl-bots. Keep dreaming, little perv, keep dreaming! The Art of War issue 5
- Jackpot is obsessed (but very unlucky) with fembots. Among his unsuccessful projects are Roulette and Airazor. Gone Too Far
Beast Era
Unicron Trilogy
- Downshift has a female "life partner" whose name has yet to be revealed. Downshift's Cyber Key code info
- Shortround fancies Thunderblast. Naturally, she does not reciprocate.
Unknown continuity
- Crystal Widow had an unnamed lover before becoming stuck in Axiom Nexus. Withered Hope
Transformers Animated
- Sentinel Prime used to date Elita-1 until, well... The AllSpark Almanac
- Grimlock, Snarl and Swoop each have a one-sided crush on Blackarachnia.
- Strika is the consort of Lugnut. Strika's tech spec bio
- Ratchet has an unnamed girlfriend from Crystal City. The AllSpark Almanac
Shattered Glass
Transformer - organic
Though reproduction does not seem to be a motivation for Transformers to become romantically involved,
Examples
Generation 1
- Sludge and Joy Meadows
- Seaspray and Alana Sea Change
- Lander once was in the middle of a date but unceremoniously ditched his partner after he got an emergency-call from Metalhawk. Rise Up!! Pretenders
- Glide is known to pick up cute human girls and give them rides on his motorcycle mode. Glide's Micromaster Collection toy bio
- Sunstreaker drives faster if he smells Junko Shiragami's marigold-scented hair. Make of that what you will. Sunstreaker Meets Junko
Beast Era
- Tigatron and Snowstalker
Unicron Trilogy
- Starscream and Alexis.
Movie continuity
- Wheelie thinks that Mikaela Banes is hot. Revenge of the Fallen
Transformer - not-living object
Examples
Generation 1
Robots in Disguise
- Side Burn has a thing for pretty red sportcars.
Unicron Trilogy
Transformers Animated
References
- ↑ Beast Wars Transmetals end-of-game bios - transcription
- ↑ When Obsidian refers to Strika as his consort in Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike he appears to have been using the less-common "associate" or "partner" definition. There are no displays of affection between them during Beast Machines, and secondary information sources describe them only as "cohorts".
