Mortal Combat
| ||||||
 Fatality! | ||||||
| "Mortal Combat" (Shitō) | ||||||
| Production code | TF: A-52 | |||||
| Production company | TV Tokyo, NAS | |||||
| Airdate | October 3, 2003 (English, United Kingdom) December 12, 2003 (English, United States) December 26, 2003 (Japanese) | |||||
| Writer | Ryō Motohira | |||||
| English adaptation | Terry Klassen | |||||
| Director | Hidehito Ueda, Mitsuru Kawasaki (asst. dir.), Munetaka Abe (animation dir.) | |||||
| Animation studio | Actas Inc. | |||||
| Continuity | 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 lets the assembled armies return to Cybertron to begin the rebuilding.
Inside of Unicron, 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 and Galvatron to finish the war. Optimus and the kids try to argue that now that the two militaries have been united, there's no need to continue the fight, but Galvatron reminds his foe that the hatred left over from an unfinished war would repower Unicron.
On Cybertron, Side Swipe alerts the other that Unicron is in motion again. Hot Shot decides to go to Unicron to retrieve Optimus Prime, but Jetfire takes Hot Shot's place. Cyclonus follows Jetfire.
Optimus says goodbye to the children; the kids don't want to go, but he convinces them that the final battle must be fought. After throwing away the Matrix (because 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.
Outside of Unicron, Jetfire and Cyclonus pick up the kids and bring them back to Cybertron. The kids report on what the two leaders are doing, and it seems Unicron isn't quite 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 Decepticon is only amused by the ferocity of the combat. 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.
The Transformers buzz around Unicron, blasting him through his own trenches. Alexis notices that during the combat, a large, growing black hole has appeared on Unicron's surface.
Optimus Prime stands up, refusing to give up the fight. Decompression sends the warriors outside of Unicron, onto his external surface. 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 in the process, the metal pipe is shoved down Prime's back.
The two warriors break for a moment, and Galvatron admits that even though he lost the battle, he enjoyed the thrill of 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 are sucked toward Unicron's maw. Galvatron, determined to see only one winner of the war (even if it isn't him) 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 all learned a lot from each other ever since their first encounter. Carlos, Fred, and Billy start to cry. Alexis gazes down at her pendant that contains the Mars stone that Starscream gave her, smiling sadly as if remembering him. With the war over, Optimus Prime narrates the closing moments. But, hidden behind a distant planet, Unicron endures.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Mini-Cons | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
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 own 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 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 Energon
Notes
Differences with Legends of the Microns
- 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!"
- When the scene cuts back to their duel, Legends of the Microns includes a short clip where Galvatron rips out his destroyed cannon to throw it at Optimus before striking him with his horns. Armada only shows Optimus blocking a seemingly random object thrown at him.
- 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 that 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 dark. On slicing his tread, Galvatron adds that even in the next generation/world, Prime is destined to be his rival and that darkness will exist as long as there's light, and not to forget that evil is eternal. Optimus yells his rival's name after disappearing into Unicron in Armada, but whispers "Megatron" in Legends of the Microns.
- Optimus's ending narration in Armada is the aftermath of Unicron's defeat, saying that Unicron has become powerless now with the war finished, and both 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 right 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.
Animation and technical errors
- Optimus's busted truck wheel shrinks down considerably to fit inside Galvatron's cannon to jam it.
- When Hot Shot yells "Attack!" as Unicron is transforming back into planet mode, the animation shows the Transformer fleet escaping (which would make sense), suggesting Hot Shot's line was a scripting error.
- Rhinox is colored like his original Transmetal toy instead of his Armada toy.
Continuity notes
- 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 about settling their differences and answering the questions Sideways asked in the previous episode.
- After tossing out the Matrix before his final battle to the death against Galvatron, Optimus says that he's fighting him as the leader of all Transformers; since when did Optimus Prime have such an out-of-character ego? Legends of the Microns fixes this notable error by having Optimus say, "I am not fighting you as a Commander but as a Transformer called Convoy!"
- Rhinox makes his only physical debut in the Unicron Trilogy. Ask Vector Prime revealed in 2015 that Rhinox perished during the battle; Vector Prime also revealed that poor Overload's upgrades were left incomplete due to Rhinox's death.
- This episode is the first time in the series where 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 out 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 seemingly heroic sacrifice from Galvatron. Who knew he could be a good guy from time to time? His self-sacrifice isn't so heroic in the Japanese dub.
- During the second-to-last shot, Prime has returned to his original colors but hasn't reclaimed the Matrix, as his Matrix compartment is visibly empty during his transformation.
- Gadgets and powers:
- Since being deactivated, Unicron appears to revert to planet mode as a defense mechanism automatically.
- Grindor can fly in skateboard mode; "Base" and "Comrade" previously alluded to this ability.
- The Mini-Con super weapons appear to be able to fly, which seems to be a common feature among Mini-Con super weapons/Powerlinxed forms, as seen with the Magnawing in Linkage, the Energon Saber in Energon, and the Umbral Blaster in the Cybertron comic.
- The Mini-Cons tap into the 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." They seem to shock opponents too.
- Galvatron uses his wrist blade for the first and last time in this episode; he uses it a total of two times.
- Optimus has ninja-like reflexes and can tip-toe on thin pipes. What a badass.
- Unicron can warp.
Continuity errors
- Before fighting Galvatron, Optimus declares his intention to fight as the leader of all Transformers. Since when did Optimus Prime have such an out-of-character ego? Legends of the Micron' fixes this major error by having Optimus state he would fight Galvatron as himself.
- 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 is visible in the hangar during the raid against Unicron. Because of the unanticipated success of Armada, he and the other Beast Wars remolds were released, but they were unable to receive larger roles in the show.
Real-world references
- The Autobot/Decepticon fighters flying and firing down Unicron's trenches are an obvious nod to Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope's Death Star trench run.
Trivia
- 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 furigana over the 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 to go off of, unlike Galvatron. He was also surprised when he first 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: 16 January 2004
Hungarian
- Title: "A végső csata" ("The Final Battle")
Portuguese
- Title: "Combate Mortal" ("Mortal Combat")
Home video releases
- DVD
2004 — Transformers: Legends of the Microns — Volume 13 (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only.
2006 — Transformers: Armada — Season One: Part Two (Rhino Entertainment)
2007 — Transformers: Armada — The Collector's Edition (Universal)
2009 — Transformers: Armada — Volume Two (New KSM) — English and German audio.
2014 — Transformers: Armada — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
