How to Write Villain and Hero Arcs | Transformers One Analysis

[@chengkuoklee5734]

Orion and D laughed, cried, do stupid shit, and adventured together. Their bond are hilighted, making us emotionally invested. Thus making his falling into darkside more dramatic and impactful.

[@Drave_Jr.]

Another thing, Optimus actually wants to reform the Cybertron Government, whereas Megatron ultimately just wants to keep the Status Quo with him at the top. The greatest irony is that Megatron is still a slave to the System, but he believes he has destroyed it,

[@no.1spidey-fan182]

Ah nothing like that good ole fashioned cycle of pain

[@renren47618]

Every revolutionary tends to end up like Megatron.

[@via-anghelmagahum2586]

@@renren47618I’m a history nerd! I was thinking of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia with Megatron’s arc. It’s the exact Animal Farm arc we have seen in human history. You fight hard to free yourself from oppression only to become the very thing you sought to destroy

[@toonhub3216]

I think it’s honestly a cool detail how the only reason D eventually agreed to head on the quest with Orion was for his own benefit, “Picture it, you handing the matrix *you found* to sentinel” meanwhile Orion included D in his Iacon 5000 scheme because he was thinking wanted them both to have the glory not just himself. In fact the very beginning of the film is about Orion wanting to help find the matrix of leadership so that the miners can do what they want. Orion was always Selfless and D always selfish, it was just framed in a way that you don’t notice it until you rewatch the film.

[@nont18411]

Yep, D-16 has the red flags since the beginning. The film just manipulated its audience so well that it made them blame Orion for everything wrong that happens in D’s life. That is the peril of writing a villain to be too sympathetic and relatable. People love to misunderstand being “relatable” with “good”. Optimus is not relatable but he is a hero who has the good quality that people should strive towards. Megatron is relatable simply because any people could turn evil very easily just like him if they give up to their temptations.

[@nont18411]

One thing that I wish this franchise won’t do if it gets a sequel: Give Megatron a redemption arc. I don’t want it. It feels like a lazy writing to show that this irredeemable monster “is not that bad” and that “everyone else is at fault for making him this way”. I have this kind of pet peeve ever since Anakin. I don’t want Megatron to be redeemed because it doesn’t make sense for his character.

[@CoolManCoolMan123]

​@@nont18411 frankly, almost every good version of Megatron had been redeemed. In G1, he went back to Cybertron to rebuild their home while Autobots stayed on Earth. In Prime, Megatron considers himself redeemed because he had a taste of his own medicine(he was a war criminal and an actual monster here, he carried out experiments and brought dead Decepticons to life just rule over their mindless bodies, yet he was left alive). While in One, assuming if he didn't do any war crimes himself and most of it was under other Decepticons, then he would definitely be the one to be redeemed.

[@zaccatacc]

@@CoolManCoolMan123idw and the original live action movie in transformers 3

[@OGrupxe]

​@@zaccatacc He was planned to be redeemed in Transformers 3. He even offered a truce. The original plan was to have Megatron and Optimus put aside their differences and take down Sentinel together. Afterward, the autobots stay on Earth and the decepticons leave to Cybertron, to rebuild it. Instead, that ending was apparently leaked, so Bay changed it to have Optimus brutally murder Megatron in cold blood after he not only surrendered, but also offered a truce.

[@TheMediaLover]

Orion Pax and D-16 are not just the strongest characters in the film but it's what makes this movie so emotional in the first place to see their brotherhood fall apart when the film progresses and especially for D-16 who tragically goes through it the worst out of everyone in the movie. Brian Tyree Henry especially sells his performance in the film to make it hit harder

[@AndrewDavis-sj6mb]

How was your reaction when you first watched The Transformers franchise?

[@TheMediaLover]

@@AndrewDavis-sj6mb I was exposed to the Michael Bay movies so honestly I didn't get that far but I vaguely remember watching Transformers Prime a few times on the TV growing up

[@AndrewDavis-sj6mb]

@TheMediaLover Hmmmmmm Alrighty

[@nont18411]

In defense of Orion/Optimus, the whole “I’m done saving you.” is less of Megatron was done actually cleaning up Optimus’ messes and more of Megatron trying to rationalize himself that Optimus was just in his way to power. Just look at how unhinged he was when Optimus returned, fully capable of helping himself, Megatron went full psycho trying to kill him again. That’s how power hungry Megatron has become. And about Orion always got everyone in trouble. He might be reckless but he has good intentions and those moments that people got in trouble thanks to him were mainly from Darkwings, on purpose. Orion went back to the mine not because he’s rebellious but because Jazz was stuck there and he didn’t want to leave anyone behind. D-16 and Elita got punished weren’t because of Orion, but because of the draconian rule set by Sentinel to make these peasants fight against each other and shift the focus away from the real tyrants, Sentinel himself and the Quintessons. A classic Machiavellian tactic to keep the dictators in power. And without Orion, none of them would have discovered the truth. Finally, we cannot truly blame Optimus for Megatron’s descent to villainy. Elita was in the same circumstances as Megatron but she understood that Optimus became more responsible over time and she didn’t become a psychopath lunatic who tried to burn the whole city to the ground like him. Megatron made his own choice to be evil.

[@ShortSnapKnowledge]

Also, Megatron had an option to just . . . Stop. Had he stopped after killing Sentinels then Optimus might even forgive him. But nope, instead he succumbed to anger and starts shooting everything, emdangered everyone else

[@J-manli]

@@ShortSnapKnowledge Some people have criticized that the fast pace of D’s fall into Megatron was too fast. But in a strange way, that suddenness and “no brakes” pacing is EXACTLY what makes his fall all the more realistic. The moment he got his cog, D has had very little time or opportunity to just take a breath and getting grade by Starscream and captured and maimed by Sentinel didn’t help his psyche either.

[@via-anghelmagahum2586]

@@J-manliI disagree with the notion that it was too fast! We saw subtly in the dialogue and D16’s personality that he would become Megatron.

[@milkiassamuel780]

Its truly remarkable how much humanity (ironically) and complex tragedy the writers of this movie brought to both Optimus and Megatron's arcs as characters as you start to see the subtle themes and progression of both Orion and D-16's character arcs and both Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry were shockingly *EXCELLENT* as both characters! Chris Hemsworth was surprisingly great as Optimus Prime, and it really shocked me how much range he has as an actor/voice actor, as he sounded like a young Peter Cullen. I especially love his characterisation as it made more sense to make him this more rambunctious, hot-headed guy who's so ambitious to prove himself and make things better albeit at the expense of getting himself and others like D-16 into trouble. I liked how they chose to have him mature and growing up to understand his responsibilities and how his actions have consequences, as juxtaposes with D-16's downfall. Honestly I just loved that they chose to make Orion the extroverted reckless go-getter, and make D-16 the introverted simple hard worker who believed in the system but both still cared for eachother as friends. That scene where Orion inspires the miners to fight back against Sentinel was so empowering because it really shows what kind of person Orion is I love the detail of Orion kneeling down at the miners' level because, unlike Sentinel, he was one of them and saw all of them as friends and family and inspiring all of them like a good father figure, which is everything Optimus Prime should be, a noble, hopeful, brave leader who's never afraid to be gentle or compassionate to others. Brian Tyree Henry absolutely *KILLED IT* as Megatron. He's one of my favourite underrated actors with so much vocal range and talent in shows like Atlanta and movies like Bullet Train, Spiderverse and now Transformers: One. This version of Megatron might be my favourite take on the character yet (and that's saying something since we've had great versions of the character before). What makes this Megatron more tragic but also more dangerous than other Megatrons in the past is that he isn't motivated by greed, or a lust for power just yet in his life...hes a victim motivated by rage and hate, he was a product of a corrupt system under Sentinels control. You can tell that after learning the dark truth about Sentinel's lies, D-16's entire world absolutely shatters as he was happy being a miner and with the life he was living as this introverted, innocent fanboy who was complacent with his life which is very much juxtaposed with Orions extroverted ambitions, but now after he sees how truly naive he was as he and his fellow miners worked themselves to death for a leader that murdered their true heroes and sold his own race out their greatest enemy. D-16 clearly feels betrayed and wants vengeance for all the pain, injustice, and death Sentinel has caused. He doubts that exposing the truth isn't enough for someone as powerful as him to be taken down. D wants to believe that there is a better way, but his rage and hate cloud his mind, and despite that rage, you can tell he still values Orion as his best friend, as he is the only person who treats D with genuine respect. He's motivated by a twisted yearning for justice. If anything, he ultimately lacks self-awareness: in his eyes, he is the hero, even though he wasn't the only one who was lied to; Orion, Elita, Bee and all of Iacon were lied to for generations, and many died just all because of Sentinels manipulation and when Orion took the blast from D-16's fusion cannon, and D-16 holds him up crying over the remorse of shooting his best friend he just can't understand why Optimus/Orion took the bullet. He can only process it as a personal betrayal on his part, because like you said its implied D-16 has had to cover for Orion countless times all because of his recklessness and ambition and even though D clearly cares about Orion regardless theres a side of him that still feels frustration and resentment over always getting in trouble for his friend, so when he finally learns the truth he's done being submissive to the system and lets his inner anger out on Orion for how often Orion can be negligent and unintentionally selfish when it comes to to how his actions have consequences and can affect his friends too like how D-16 got knocked out by Darkwing despite trying to defuse the the situation. Megatron was justified in his hatred and vengeance against Sentinel but lost sight of what he was fighting for and let his emotions consume him to the point of no return despite how much he knew Orion cared about him as a good friend, but couldn't fathom why he'd risk his life for a scumbag like Sentinel who took away their rights, their hope, their heroes and sold out his own people, even though D has had to sacrifice everything to save Orion. Thus, he mentally snapped and had enough of covering Orion's back, and now D-16 was dead, and only Megatron existed. What is truly sad is that Orion wasn't trying to save Sentinel...he was trying to save D-16 from making a terrible mistake, but sadly, D-16 was too far gone, and now only Megatron exists. The storytelling is truly captivating and downright Shakespearean for not just making us care about Optimus but also making us care about Megatron.

[@kevinbaumhoer7359]

look up IDW Megatron . He had it even worse along with Schockwave . The movie touches only light on the Counsel Corruption . IDW Goes hard into it

[@UncleWilsonProductions]

Well said!

[@032_m.alfathcirrus5]

I really appreciated the neat detail of him smiling when he put on Megatronus' Cog, tells you so much about the character. D-16 didn't change, he simply revealed his true color. From the moment you learn that he idolizes Megatronus over other Primes for being the strongest, you see the strive in him to quench that thirst of power, to be the strongest like Megatronus.

[@thenewsatinbobcat5575]

Something else about D-16's arc. I like how it's not entirely explained to the viewer as to what he is thinking, allowing the viewer to put themselves in D-16's shoes and imagine what they are thinking.

[@nont18411]

Megatron’s justification is completely gone by the end of the movie. Just compare two final scenes between him and Optimus. Optimus never lost sight about who enslaved the Cybertronians in the first place. He formed the “Autobots” (Autonomous Robotics) to declare their freedom and send the warning to their true enemy: The Quintessons. Meanwhile, Megatron never once mentioned any Quintessons. All he care about is that he wants to kill Optimus by forming the “Decepticons” to fight against “Optimus’” deceptions (What deception? Optimus never lies to anyone). He completely lost sight about who is the true enemy (the ones who enslaved him) and only seeks vengeance against Optimus (whose biggest crime was just that he rightfully banished him).

[@simionmatei9715]

He also very much rejected primus, and spit in his hero megatromus leagacy, because megatronus here would side with optimus.

[@MusSupremeJAR03]

@@simionmatei9715 Megatronus-Prime, along with the other Primes and Primus himself, was literally present at the rebirth of Orion Pax to baptize him as Optimus Prime, meanwhile D-16, now self-proclaimed Megatron, simply acted as a new "leader", but was more like an arrogant tyrant who wanted to impose his ideals by force, to the point of starting to shoot everywhere without control

[@JerichoJulius0]

Disagreed with this opinion. He's more angry at the system of "Primes", which is why he said "false prophets". He sees all Primes as false idols. Which is why, at the end, he was consumed by anger and his "Megatron" persona. When Pax became Optimus, D-16 was no longer D-16 but Megatron; while he no longer sees Orion as Orion but rather just another Prime standing in his way.

[@skyenight-by8yh]

Honestly, D-16 and Orion’s respective arcs reminded me of so many other characters’ stories (Like the parallels between Luz and Philip/Belos, Cassandra and Rapunzel, amongst others), that it’s hard to just keep count of them all. 😅❤

[@eddsrt4604]

I also thought at first that it was weird that pax turned into prime by the end with the starting scenes, but after a quick thought I realize, that he is always trying to help or integrating others, he was in the library to help sentinel, he mostly says WE are more than meets the eye, he goes to the race to prove that all the miners can be more, and wants to find the matrix to help Cybertron, he was always the hero but the status quo painted him as not, While D is mostly convinced with promise of glory

[@Kusanagikaiser999]

I have watch this movie 4 times now.....none of those times I felt D-16 rushed to be Megatron, his decent into darkness was very well paced and spaced properly during the story, and the culmination as predictable as anyone could saw, still let all the times I saw this in theaters (sadly 2) people GASPING when happen finally, that couldn't be archived if his arc was rushed or bad written. this arc was perfectly executed.

[@nont18411]

Seeing people siding with Megatron strongly (while also demonizing Optimus in the process) makes me understand why the genocidal leaders like Stalin, Hitler or Mao Zedong could rally common people (that they oppressed and murdered) to their destructive causes very easily. Their charisma is enough to manipulate people to ignore rationality and follow only raw emotions. They are only “bad guys” because they have a tabooed label of “Nazi” or “Communist” on it, unlike Megatron who is seen as a hero because he has no such label.

[@OneDapperFrog]

I do agree with Megatron's goal of killing Sentinel. Justice in this case is, without a doubt, executing Sentinel Prime. His eagerness for it is however concerning. I would rather side with him over Optimus in this case as bloodthirsty justice is better than no justice.

[@cantbelieve5231]

But would you deny everyone’s else’s justice? Everyone who we were shown were just as betrayed like d16. Should we dent their voices against sentinal or take that chance away just like Megatron. Whether we like it or not, Megatron took the choice of everyone in Iacon bestowing their wrath, pain, or justice against Sentinel. I agree with you siding with d16 killing sentinel, lets be real that is inevitable, but I ask is there a moment would ever stop pulling the trigger even if Orion was in front. Would D16 always pull the trigger and aim the crosshair?

[@sergioandrescontreras5251]

Transformers One is a genius movie and deserves more credit. I’m looking forward to seeing the sequel.

[@chengkuoklee5734]

@sergioandrescontreras5251 they pulled a Homecoming, I wish they can complete this ONE Trilogy.

[@olleselin]

When i saw this film in theatres, i was really drawn into these arcs of Megatron and Optimus. I really liked this film! A total love letter to the G1 cartoon. ❤

[@andreagarton5535]

Not just G1! But the entire franchise!

[@jeremy1860]

Optimus and Megatron have always been a great hero-baddie combo across the 40 years of this franchise, but this is probably the most compelling either of them have ever been :)

[@Gabriel-y2o]

This movie is amazing! I know it's not likely going to win best animated feature against Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot, but my goodness, this is the best writing of a Transformer franchise I have ever seen. The Transformers already had a cool gimik, heck I have a huge Decepticons collection, but all it needed was some good character writing to make it perfect and we finally got it! I hope that Hasbro and Paramount will look beyond the box office and recognize the fault is in the marketing and make a sequel to this. I hope they make a film saga out of this, it's time to put the Michael Bay nonsense to rest. This is putting Transformers in the right direction. Animation is the way to go.

[@Jazzys.Prime.Chilling.Time127]

transformers prime show have also great writing

[@venus446]

Honestly I love the comments bc they make me think about things I had never noticed in the film, and I’ve seen this movie 4 times already. It’s honestly my fav movie of the the year. Prior to this movie I wasn’t too big into Transformers but I recently bought the generation 1 show and my husband and I are sitting down to watch it. (We’re on season 2 so far) It’s a shame that it didn’t do well in the box office bc it’s a fantastic movie. I recommend this movie to anyone that hasn’t seen it.

[@igorstark9514]

I watched this movie on streaming and I got upset for not having gone to cinema to watch this one. Great movie and the best Transformers movie I've ever seen by far, including the original one. Unfortunately the Bayverse movies were so bad that I got hopeless to expect anything good.

[@iaimfortheeyes]

The story setup D-16 descension into evil perfectly. They built up D-16’s relationship with Sentinel to do so. They showed that D-16 idolizes Sentinel and above all, Megatronus. Therefore the betrayal hit D different from Pax. Orion was rebellious and suspected something was wrong all along. D believed the system was perfect. As a result, his existence betrayed him. Everything he knew was a lie. So when he finds out that this fake prime killed his idol, there was no going back.

[@autobot_jazzman9856]

This is also a indicator that everyone don't recieve the truth the same way, some use the knowledge for good while others gondown a dark path.

[@randomusernameCallin]

The friends following different paths is a common framework. Near parallel character arcs shows the changes more. D-16 learned the thruth at the same time as three others and he was the only one who gave into rage.

[@lightyearpig12]

Megatron: We were brothers once! Optimus Prime: Once.

[@mayday2237]

Honestly this is all about radicalization. Orion becomes radicalized to an outlook of uplifting others, to build a better society for all from a desire to allow everyone to live up to their potential. D-16 becomes radicalized from a place of personal vindication, reproducing a belief of might makes right that created the system that hurt the two of them in the first place. Boy, that's sure not topical at all at the moment.

[@danielmedela8725]

The histories you should compare this movie to, if you don´t mind are: 1- G1´s episodes "Search for Alpha Trion" and "War Dawn" 2- IDW´s "Megatron Origins" mini-seires (4 issues of comic) 3- IDW´s "Chaos Theory" arc (2 issues). Those histories are, in my modest opinion, what inspired this movie, yet TF:One went above and beyond.

[@natereath4966]

also Transformers: Exodus, though that book itself is probably inspired by the idw comics you mentioned.

[@danielmedela8725]

@@natereath4966 I´ve read the first half of Exodus, and it pales compared to this movie. It never feels as if D-16 and Orion are actually friends, and that book skips too much small moments and descriptions. Though the descriptions are, I guess, so you imagine your favourite version of the characters. Which doesn´t work if the weapons are part of their bodies, sorry...

[@Skritz-mt9zb]

Don't forget 'State Games' from the Marvel days, which laid the groundwork for all of this.

[@thekoifishcoyote8762]

I love this movie because you can follow EXACTLY how they turn from the characters at the start to the ones at the end. You can see how D-16's aggressiveness turns into Megatron's violence, and how Orion Pax's pluck turns into Optimus Prime's leadership. I only wish it was 2 hours so the High Guard could get more scenes.

[@calebe4266]

Megatron's g1 motto was "peace through tirany", i wonder who is the person having peace, the people beneath for having someone (suposedly) taking care of them, or is it the tyrant for not having anyone that can dispute it's power?

[@DanielM2006UK]

Excellent put. I am no writer but I have tried little bits of writing in my life. Story arcs are one of those items that goes above my head. When I read them or see them on screen I can get the gist but to create story arcs, especially ones with multiple characters is difficult and can easily become contrived. Much for me to ponder on. Thanks!

[@ZenKrio]

5:30 D was technically in the right. Sentinel harvested the organs of transformers for 50 years, and committed Treason by killing the Primes. He isnt selfish for wanting to kill Sentinel, his crimes are punishable by death IRL. He was in the right. Orion was just above that. Also, take into account that when D nade his rant initially, Alpha Trion didnt disagree with him, and still gave hima Primes Cog. Trion was perfectly fine with what D wanted, and hes a Prime.

[@Jazzys.Prime.Chilling.Time127]

agree very good point

[@renren47618]

Yeah, Megatron was truly justified up untill he started to shoot everything and try to impose his revolution on everyone, power quickly went over his head and he was becoming a new Sentinel.

[@Skritz-mt9zb]

No, killing Sentinel in front of everyone would have been a mistake and just more of D16/Megatron's tyranny replacing Sentinel's own. If anything, Sentinel being killed is an easy way out from his crimes compared to having him stripped of all he craves: power, control and fame. Him rotting in a jail as a nobody is a far harsher punishment.

[@StareachValcin]

For the record, you should give other Transformers shows, movies, and even games a chance. They can give you more perspective about the traditional relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron. Them being friends that became enemies wasn't always the case between Optimus Prime and Megatron, but in every iteration, Optimus Prime and Megatron's fates seemed intertwined. This is a good retrospective look at Orion Pax and D-16's relationship in Transformers One, which ultimately led them to being sworn enemies as Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively.

[@calebe4266]

If you are thinking about searching more transformers media, i think the best things are the g1 cartoon (for historical reason, the show is pretty goofy), transformers prime, animated and the idw comics. There is also a new comic universe being made on skybound enterteinment at it is just fire

[@DawaraDragon]

You need to watch Transformers Prime, it’s an incredible animated interpretation of the franchise that still holds up very well today.

[@obvioustruth3000]

This was a rare occurence. A hero + arch nemesis story in one movie which as told so well and didnt feel forced. I was just in awe after watching it coz i didnt expect it to be so good

[@0axis771]

This story is great because you can feel for both Orion and D-16. You can understand Orion's excitement for adventure and almost blind optimism, and then D-16's belief that he was serving the system as he was meant to. Most of all, you can feel their friendship throughout the film, which only makes the shattering of their friendship hurt all the more when D-16 "fell" as Megatron and Orion "rose" as Optimus. This film deserved more recognition.

[@LinkiePup]

A major reason why I think Megatron and Optimus’s story hits harder than even Transformers Prime is because they both start at the lowest point of society.

[@MrTonyJ]

I recommend Transformers Prime. Prior to this it was the best storytelling outside of the comics. Also the 1986 movie.

[@Flvtchrr]

Wfc and foc are right there

[@deathshadow660]

Micheal bay film have one goal only: bigger explosion >>>>>>>>>>> everything else

[@OttoMatson]

From what I heard, Micheal Bay actually helped in the making of this film.

[@Kaiju-bm4ts]

​@@OttoMatson that doesn't make things better when tf one had bad marketing

[@OttoMatson]

@@Kaiju-bm4ts I'm not sure what he did in terms of marketing, but seeing as he's not the lead director, I don't think he couldn've done much anyways.

[@Skritz-mt9zb]

These character arcs are something which really got started proper in the comics, not the cartoon primarily for the record. The idea of exploring a pre-war Cybertron came from the Marvel comics and the cartoon did it its own version with 'War Dawn', which introduced the concept of Optimus Prime having once been 'Orion Pax' while Marvel comics introduced the idea of a gladiator Megatron (a concept that TFone had to scrap due to time, sadly). These ideas were further refined in later incarnations of the franchise, again especially the comics. TFOne is basically an amalgam of all these disparate origin stories for Optimus and Megatron over the last 40 years and I mean that in the best way. They boiled down each version to its barest essentials and combined the strongest elements of each while added new concepts to make a cohesive whole. The only detail truly missing is Megatron's gladiator arc.

[@mindyminds32]

These two basically represents from besties to enemies 😂

[@Yosh1az]

D-16 is the very definition of "Villains are made, not born"

[@jtfbreedlove]

TF prime, animated & cyberverse are all available to stream for free(mostly) and worth a watch.

[@renren47618]

Just watched this movie and i got extremely impressed how it went from a 2 to a 10 after the first 40 minutes, this movie was an amazing beggining a new movie saga of Transformers and i really wish that they continue it, the action scenes were great and the characters really surprised me, especially Megatron. The beginning of the movie is very... Boring and the dialogue was very MCU too with all the characters except Darkwing and Elita having that quirky and snarky trait from Marvel but as the movie progresses the characters really evolve and get more interesting and the final scenes were epic. As someone that grew up loving the Michael Bay movies i can't be happier that we're finally getting Transformers movies that have a good story development.

[@03mbc]

The arcs they went through were pretty song were Orion Prime went to a mature and responsible leader to Megatron being a full on villain especially with that chilling line "Am Done Saving You"

[@onyx_gabriel]

In D's/Megatron's eyes, Orion just gave his life for a traitor

[@BromineBlues-om7yf]

9:48 you could say it's... More than meets the eye!

[@orianpax47]

One thing I would like to point out is how for D-16's "Villain's" Journey, Starscream is a better fit for the Old Mentor figure than Alpha Trion. D-16 take's Starscream's "might (cog) makes right" philosophy whereas Orion takes Trion's "spark is what matters not cog," philosophy

[@AbrahamKing-b6i]

One shall stand one shall fall

[@CrazyWeridoRH]

I feel like you'll love Transformers Prime. Megatron is still evil in that show but he does have a lot of depth to him, and that show has my favorite portrayal of Starscream which Transformers One didn't have too much time to capitalize on. The difference with their backstories is that there was no Megatronus Prime. Megatronus was just Megatron's gladiator name and Orion Pax wasn't a miner, he was a scholar working under Alpha Trion.

[@laisphinto6372]

Please watch Transformers animated and Transformers Prime

[@bigjas9723]

This movie was goated

[@alimzazaz]

If someone watched anakin (clone wars) then anakin (RotS) then they wouldve felt the same way about D16-Megatron. The underlying 'turn-to-evil' is there. Couldve been to quick or not, is subjective.

[@Freesorin837]

9:45 one could say... *ITS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE*

[@qrx4057]

They both want change. The only difference is D-16's arrogance in thinking he could be the one who could bring that change. Whereas Orion is thrust into the role of leadership.

[@Groundrunner100]

If you consider Orion Pax to be self centered in Transformers One, you clearly weren’t paying attention to the film. Orion Pax starts off wanting to help Sentinel find the Matrix of Leadership so that Energon can flow through Cybertron again. He acts in the interests of those around him. Go see Emperor Kumquat’s review on TF One’s D-16 for more details. Short version: you’re wrong.

[@ZephyrBW]

Heroes/Villains both are seen at both sides

[@knightzix_01]

i think D 16 Turn for the worse was Slow he became megatron when his eyes went Red That was the turning point for D16 As d16 Was dead Megatron was born

[@Omar_ZX]

The downfall of D is why I rewatched tfo so much, it always hurts to see

[@zaeranos]

Take it from someone who grew up with the G1 cartoon. In the G1 cartoon Megatron had even less of a motivation and or arc than the Bayformers Megatron. The later IDW comics expanded on the universe of the cartoon and gave something more, but the cartoon had absolutely nothing. The Bayformers Megatron could at least make the claim that he was mentored by the Fallen Prime and eventually was seeking energon to make the new Decepticon babies be born healthier. Nothing even close was for the G1 megatron.

[@glory2cybertron]

back then, you only needed a hero to compliment the villain and vice versa. Exactly what Megatron tells Optimus in IDW's Chaos Theory when he says Optimus would be a nobody without him.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

One, The Movie, and Bumblebee are the best.

[@tysondennis1016]

Transformers One 🤝 Honor Among Thieves *Getting screwed over by advertising (or lack thereof)*

[@edwardreed67]

Pax wanted to become someone better, contribute to something bigger. D wanted to be left alone and contribute to what he already knew. Pax chose to focus on helping people when he found out the truth. D focused on himself. Pax dethroned sentinel for justice. D dethroned sentinel for revenge. Pax rose up to the truth, D fell below it. Pax was more than met the eye. D was less.

[@Jazzys.Prime.Chilling.Time127]

Everyone in real life would be more like D-16/ Megatron than Orion/Optimus Prime

[@LarryMerice]

One shall rise and one shall fall.

[@Ghost-gp7kq]

10/10👌

[@jtfbreedlove]

This movie needed a much better ad campaign.

[@martinpat94]

I feel so bad cause the trailers is what has killed this movie

[@deathshadow660]

1:45 what happen to our society so something that happens irl that cause a person of lower status to start a big war? Now it see the similarities

[@AkeemReese]

Actually I think that the live action reboot’s transformers movies like bumblebee and rise of the beast. Don’t have much rewatch ability than the bayformers movies do. Yah you get more robot screen time but the cg looks like shit in some instances.

[@Kaiju-bm4ts]

That's only the case with rotb, not bumblebee as bumblebee still had the same studios working on the cgi. Re-watchabilty is highly subjective and depends ultimately if you are looking for nostalgia or quality. Bumblebee is quality (and nostalgia if you're a 80s kid) meanwhile the bayverse is nostalgia

[@vishnugopalawasthi5888]

Bayverse is garbage , cope & seethe.

[@dracodracarys2339]

The biggest tragedy was Megatron's lack of self-awareness. Unlike previous Megatrons gloating about how evil they are and reveling in their own cruelty, this Megatron is completely incapable of understanding why he's the bad guy. He was always obsessed with sticking to protocol. To do what has to be done. And when "what has to be done" is betraying his friend and killing Sentinel, he doesn't understand why that was the wrong thing to do and can only rationalize it as a betrayal on Orion's part.

[@glory2cybertron]

and even so, Beast Wars Megatron is genuinely more evil than any of the Decepticon Megatron versions.

[@dubuyajay9964]

05:11. Or maybe their characters changed?

[@_red_scorpion_]

Let me play devils advocate here for a second- Would Megatron really have kept the status quo? I'm not so sure. I think he wanted to completely overthrow the current system and build something new from the ground up. He wanted to "burn it down" as he said. I think megs would've also given all the lower class miners their cogs back and some more freedom too, he didn't want to decieve anyone like sentinel. megs doesnt hate sentinel because sentinel has power, he hates sentinel because he abused that power. Earlier in the movie d-16 had nothing but compliments for sentinel. Now, Yes seeking revenge and an execution is wrong but I think megs had good intentions for his people and himself but he went about it in a bad way.

[@Scoonertuna]

You overlooked one glaring issue: Michael Bay is the producer of Transformers One

[@glory2cybertron]

Hasbro requires his name to be slapped in every TF movie; Bay himself wanted nothing to do with the franchise after the 3rd movie but a paycheck is a paycheck.

[@vishnugopalawasthi5888]

Bro thinks producers matters

[@joshuax1987]

I suggest TF Prime it have the same feel

[@mamahakim4604]

Quite similar to Naruto vs sasuke backstory

[@MatheusFilipe-m6q]

Hey can i tell you a ideia of a new video?

[@3rdlegend445]

I get the idea that arcs should be front and center, and I’m all for it, but I have to be real here. Transformers, originally, was never about story. Everyone glorifies the 86 like it was a wonderfully written story, but in all honesty it was nothing but an hour long toy advertisement with constant action. The 2007 Bay film took that formula and made it live action, so hypothetically people should have loved it (new robot and alt mode designs = new toys) that Bay movie gets buckets of hate for no real reason. “Fans” try to project this idea of story onto the Bayformers that was never apparent in TF films beforehand .Transformers movies never had substance, they were action movies. Transformers One finally did something different, but don’t try to make the Bay films look like they strayed from a perfect, story focused formula because that was NEVER the case💯

[@Jazzys.Prime.Chilling.Time127]

transformers prime show have story

[@vishnugopalawasthi5888]

Transformers is about the story,baylover. Go watch that garbage bayverse.

[@bunnyconcubus8468]

Hey, whoa whoa, at 1:41 why is sound wave in the crowd he's supposed to be a normal upper class transformer before the war where they demoted him to the lowest ranks for his betrayal and stipped him to the bare functions where for whatever reason he just became the best of that model.

[@jagtech490]

Not all continuities are the same dude, this is a forty year old franchise with many different takes. I do not understand how the fanbase doesn’t get this by now

[@Asmokedetector]

This take is better. Blud isnt the main character. Nor is this a TV show

[@bunnyconcubus8468]

@Asmokedetector Yeah, I know he's just the best side character. I'm saying that he should've been the only elite to believe and want to help Orion before being taken away in the wake of their rebellion to come back in the sequel as the most evil thing to walk all of reality.

[@clairemercer3099]

Just watched the election. Seems like showing people the truth has no effect.

[@ryanmatthews3609]

much more better then vi and jinx's arcs and up there with moses and Ramases from prince of Egypt.

[@yoshilover105]

I'm gonna disagree. This movie had poor characterization. D-16 was stripped of all his own goals and aspirations, the strong will that made him Megatron, and was turned into a token black guy who turns evil. In turn, Orion Pax was reckless. Most of his schemes were selfish without care of consequences or how anyone else would suffer because of them. Saving Jazz was the exception. Elita One was reduced to just the Chick with a superiority complex. Bumblebee was reduced to an isolated loon. The whole story unraveled at the end with the Quintessons just... Leaving? If all you've seen is the live actions, I suppose the writing is good, but if you know anything of the franchise and their back stories as a whole, this whole movie falls apart at the seams. Bumblebee was a stronger Transformers film, as it broke away from the Bayverse. Hasbro decarbonized the 5 movies Michael Bay directed

[@FK74396]

Why does every analysis of this movie involve shitting on bayformers? I completely understand that they’re far from perfect but do we need to tear something down in order to show how good something is instead of praise it on its own merit?

[@Kaiju-bm4ts]

Because this movie did what 5 bayverse films couldn't do? Even bumblebee did what those said 5 films couldn't do 6 years prior along with predacons rising doing what the first 3 films couldn't do either. It's impossible to not compare tf one to the bay films when it shouldn't had taken nearly 20 years for us to get a tf movie that understands the assignment

[@vishnugopalawasthi5888]

Shut up baystan

[@minilla2382]

​@Kaiju-bm4ts this is like comparing Godzilla minus one to Godzilla x Kong They're both completely separate tones

[@vishnugopalawasthi5888]

@@minilla2382 trash comparison

[@FK74396]

@@Kaiju-bm4ts I never said not to compare them, what I’m saying is that when comparing them you don’t need to tear down everything the previous work did. You can compare them and while bayformers isn’t winning any awards in the comparison that doesn’t necessitate shitting on them.