Catharsian

The Catharsians are a race of mechanical aliens, similar in size and stature to Cybertronians. Unlike Cybertronians, however, they are incapable of transformation and lack sparks, instead deriving sentience from their "warm-wired" physiology.

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

Several Catharsians set up shop on Troja Major's Howling Town; they were known to hire other species to work for them in their trade: literally extracting and selling the grief of other sentient species as a commodity. An Axe to Break the Ice

The Howling Town merchant and ex-Decepticon Agonizer was not fond of the Catharsians, considering them an untrustworthy and barbarous race. An Axe to Break the Ice Several Cybertronians believed that the mechanical construction of the Catharsians were primitive when compared to the Cybertronians.

A Catharsian named Mengel had fallen in with the Grand Architect in his quest to build a better breed of Cybertronian, eventually developing a new variety of Transformer known as an "Infinite". Velocity and Nautica would later seek out Mengel for help regarding Nautica's deceased Amica Endura Skids, which led to Nautica losing all emotional connection that she had to Skids' memory. Chasing the Infinite

Notes

• The Catharsians obviously derive their name from the word "catharsis," the release of strong or repressed emotions.