The Representation of Mute Characters in Transformers

Bumblebee? Soundwave? No... Let's talk about sincere mute representation in Transformers. What would make good representation? Who might be our best example so far?
Transformers Prime, Transformers Cyberverse, Transformers' live action movies, and Robots in Disguise 2015 are included in this video.
Video on Silbo Gomero: Sylbo, The Last Speakers of the Lost Whistling Language | TIME
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[@emperorkumquat]

This video is a gift to my friend, and thanks to her for checking over the script. I'm happy to have you in our lives, Queen 🤟 Subtitles are available! Find me on social media: beacons.ai/emperor_kumquat Donate to my TFP fan game: ko-fi.co/emperorkumquat

[@vihaan_17]

Can we just talk about how stupidly the writers did not include Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen in their beast hunters opening? thats literally one of the few things i hate in the master piece called TFP.

[@Darktrap11]

Actually, I'm not with putting LGBTQ in transformers or kids shows in general, but blind and different disabilities are a good way to teach kids how hard it is to be one, so they can help disabled people passing the street, etc

[@emperorkumquat]

@@Darktrap11 LGBTQ isn't inherently sexual, it is fine in kids shows too

[@jacksondarby746]

Can you do a video on mental illness in transformers? I can already think or Red Alert being paranoid, Skids and his amnesia, Arcee and her ptsd. I know you’ve pointed out Starscream’s behaviors from abuse. You do great thought out videos.

[@just_a_piece_of_junk]

​@jacksondarby746 transmutate has autism in a couple different versions i know its not mental illness but still

[@BlooMonkiMan]

My guess as to why Soundwave spoke more in RID15 is because he has found himself in a world where he cannot communicate without breaking his vow of silence.

[@Warlord_Megatron]

I doubt that was the case. Megatron had disbanded decepticons and his vow meant nothing at that point especially after new cybertronian society had been established so he did what he's good at, i.e., thinking logically and decided to break his vow

[@BlooMonkiMan]

@@Warlord_Megatron then why bother trying to bring him back when he clearly doesn't want this to continue?

[@Warlord_Megatron]

@@BlooMonkiMan To get prime lovers to watch the show

[@BlooMonkiMan]

@@Warlord_Megatron him as in Megatron

[@Warlord_Megatron]

@@BlooMonkiMan That's just lazy writing at that point as they completely disregarded Megatron's decision in TFP and wanted the decepticon arc to continue as apparently the entire plot of transformers revolve around Autobots and decepticons and without either faction, neither the show will get views nor the toys will be sold. Not so fun fact: RiD performed better than TfP in terms of revenue from toys.

[@KadenKenz]

I know Ten (from IDW) isn’t particularly mute-but he could only speak one word, which meant people didn’t verbally understand him. Ten was also known for being misunderstood as stupid because of this aspect of himself. And his origin didn’t help his case. For while he *looked* dangerous, he in fact; was a gentle soul.

[@emperorkumquat]

Ten would have been good to talk about actually, I forgot about him

[@TinyRobotED-tm9rs]

Tens one of my favorite characters

[@zara-hope5518]

@@emperorkumquat Ten is best boy.

[@StarGazer6]

Voxpop

[@jacksondarby746]

Oh I love Ten! The gentle souls was amazing

[@frozarburst6350]

So glad someone included Earthspark and Cyberverse. Sometimes fans don't give them enough credit for what they could do with their characters till they're done with production and the next series pops up (apart from the Unicron Trilogy where all hell broke loose mid story)

[@felixdeplanques3614]

Agreed

[@Jessiepeakman]

I actually liked the way they did it in the bumblebee movie, showing him losing his voice and gradually learning to speak through the radio.

[@NotherNothing]

I agree. It's almost like post-stroke or physical trauma speech therapy. The big difference being that, while people can (sometimes) relearn to speak, Bee had to learn a new method.

[@fangslore9988]

yes, and so he cannot be regarded as mute he even regained his voice after tuning a replacement voice module to his original voice

[@Spyanter2000]

@@fangslore9988Well.. Not really seeing as the Bumblebee movie has been confirmed to now be Knightverse even if originally planned to be set in Bayverse (which would have made no sense and caused ANOTHER contradiction). So st the moment he doesn’t have his voice back in the current live action story

[@fangslore9988]

@@Spyanter2000 they can say that for now but they can disenfranchise from the bayfilms and declare that it was a reboot. they will need to explain why all the autobots left the earth unit 2007 but in the first one they had never been to earth before and its explained that bumblebee was on earth since the 40s the timeline is getting very convoluted at this point

[@Spyanter2000]

@@fangslore9988 Thanks for literally restating most of what I said about them already declaring Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts as a reboot/new movie series and how the old Bayverse movie timeline sucked.

[@UltraPrimal]

The Minicons in Armada are also mute in the same way that Prime Bee is mute. They make bleep bloop noises which the other Transformers can understand, and eventually the kids too. I would also like to add that in real life, sometimes some trans women choose not to speak because they feel that they physically pass for female, but their voice does not. Maybe they haven't done voice training, or maybe they have and are still uncomfortable with their feminine voice, but either way they might not speak out of fear that it'll "give them away" as being trans.

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

I remember it was an important plot point that the transformers in armada being unable to understand to understand the minicons any more then we human can understand the gestures of some well researched animal species, and only the children could understand only the perceptor team near the end of the show. thier unique connection with the perceptor team is what allowed them to convince all the minicons to from the Unicron of Light and ultimately save the day. Guess it was just my memory playing tricks on me.

[@Soundwave._]

Pre-T transmasc folks sometimes do the same with voices. I always felt TFP Soundwave was trans/genderfluid coded for using voice recordings of more than one gender, which isn't strictly "silence". Maybe they don't mind words in moderation, just not the sound of their own voice.

[@TheAbondonedCircus]

Well if they were women then they wouldn't need to change their voice

[@emperorkumquat]

For the Minicons and Bumblebee, it is more like speaking another language. They are not mute when they are vocalizing what they want to say and it works out that way. Minicons in Transformers are mostly treated as accessories to the larger robots instead of full fledged characters too. The representation of mute people really lacks having full "human" characters that aren't animals, dumb, sub-human, etc. It lacks resemblance to the real life people who can't speak even if they wanted to-we aren't even getting characters who are silent and struggling from the judgment of others or to communicate their thoughts. Transformers that beep or use radio clips to speak are not representative of the lived experience I wanted to talk about in this video I get that not wanting to speak because trans thing because I tighten my lips up too in certain situations. Though there is still a difference between choosing not to speak and never being able to speak for the rest of your life. The first one gets more representation than the second one, so much so that people don't often consider the second one possible except for major injury!

[@Leader7353]

@@TheAbondonedCircus why are you interacting with them then?

[@OptimusPhillip]

I remember once, I wrote a fanfic about a mute Bumblebee, and I specifically wanted him to represent real-life mute people. So I ran revisions of the story by a friend of mine who is mute, to get their opinion before I ultimately posted it. They weren't a fan of Transformers, but they gave me some good notes, and ultimately approved my final draft.

[@ursidae97]

Nice

[@emperorkumquat]

I'm hearing that some humans have actually learned echolocation (not to the extent of bats of course). That's pretty cool! But I don't think it would be as advanced to the point of identifying small objects in open spaces on a battlefield like Kaon!

[@rivergamingandmore1577]

Yeah my mom (who is blind) is actually one of these people, it’s really interesting to see it being performed and while I don’t think she would be able to detect small objects on a battlefield, she has saved my butt multiple times from running into a parked car while I wasn’t paying attention to what was infront of me, she also is able to identify objects (mostly movable furniture) and is able to make a sort of layout so she doesn’t just immediately trip over such things

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

I think disability in the transformers franchise is really interesting thing to explore because it can occur in ways that people that couldn’t in people or in ways you wouldn't think would be disabilities unless you think about cybertronian society as a whole For example many transformers have abnormal hands or limbs due to being an alien (such as dinobot) or having it be replaced by a part of a alternative mode. For example BW Megatron in Several of his forms, BW Quickstrike, most Shockwaves, armada Hoist, BW Scavenger, G1 Inferno, and many others have only one function hand or possibly none. Quickstrike can't really hold a gun with his awkward scorpion legs or his cobra head. You also have characters like BW Sliverbolt and Quickstrike who are unable to disguise themselves as something else in beast mode due to being fuzors. Rid2015 Grimlock has to face this iusse directly in due to his Trex mode not being unable to him from humans (which for some reason mattered because it shouldn't have due to the world learning about the existence of cybertronians in prime but that's beside the point) and he had to made a costume to hide himself which a cybertronian with a earth vehicle mode would not have to do. Jawbreaker and Nightshade might face similar challenges in future seasons of earthspark if they chose to explore those aspects of those characters. A larfe character like Gigastorm has to shrink himself down to normally interact with objects like he normally did as Megastorm. other city sized transformers (Gigastorm is actually smaller then g1 optimus but regardless) litterally have to have someone communicate for them because of there size difference make it impossible to do so in a normal manner. I think its really interesting to think about.

[@PaigeRobins-ky4qc]

I think so too.💭🤖🫂

[@fangslore9988]

well yeah, look at ironhide, in transformers 1, 2 and 3, he sustained permanent damage to his ankle when he arrived on earth and always had a subtle limp when he walked, when rewatching the movies pay very close attention to to how he moves, that limp never goes away

[@justjordyn6729]

Speaking of representation, I recently met the VA for Frenzy in Earth Spark. She was excited to be playing Frenzy, especially since they made the character a femme bot. As for Nightshade, I think it fully makes sense to have a they/them transformer. They’re giant alien robots, it literally doesn’t matter. I truly enjoy the representation in recent Transformers media because it makes me feel more comfortable around others in the fandom. Being a young woman, in a fanbase with many more older gentlemen, can be a bit awkward. But I feel more comfortable about it now, and I can ham it up with the next 50 year old man about my Soundwave itabag

[@fightme1791]

Terms like “femme” isn’t canon.

[@fightme1791]

But yes, I’m a teenage girl and I loved seeing female transformers in media. G1 Arcee was my favorite as a kid

[@TransMascTrump]

@@fightme1791 thank you, and it's ridiculous

[@Soundwave._]

I honestly thought Frenzy was meant to be non-binary, especially since the VA is they/she non-binary, but either way I love the Earthspark take for the character. The Seekers are great as well. I heard that Dot Malto's VA said she'd like to play a version of Jazz one day and I hope that happens because she'd be perfect!

[@Drfreaky-kms]

Yeah, the whole pronoun thing doesn’t matter. but it also doesn’t make that much sense to me. if someone will explain, I will listen I’m genuinely confused.

[@marcelinenolan6284]

Thank you for this video. Need to see more people like us in media. Media representation is one of the best ways to inform society about people who differ. I'm yet to find a good representation of aphasia in media. Some representations have even seemed like they were made to hurt public perception. Disability isn't something to make a character arc out of by curing. It'd be far more interesting to see anythung based on the real situations of learning to exist with your disability and all that can be done alongside it as part of you.

[@PaigeRobins-ky4qc]

Indeed we can be the same and the same was different because if we are the same the world would be boring.🌍🌎🌏🌐🗺️🫂🤖

[@azureequus8045]

hey thanks this video is actually really good, I've struggled with being mute for a few years due to brain damage I have Aphasia which makes talking very hard for me to do, and I stooped doing it for a few years cus it was to overwhelming for my brain,I can do it now but I have to really focus to get my words right. I wish shows focused more on how isolating not being able to speak is and how you find yourself more frustrated with yourself than others at least that's how I felt, also getting your voice back it takes years to talk right again going from no talking to talking is..at least in my experience its very overwhelming, and since I did and still dospeak in a way that's very disjointed and broken most people think I am stupid I am not stupid I'm just struggling. Its very easy to add depth to mute characters by just giving them inner monologues into shows I know I had lots of thoughts I wanted to share but could not. And just from my personal perspective I always found silent characters to be more of a gimmick especially in transformers many of them get there voices back (Or they just don't talk cus the show can't afford another voice actor )and that's less of an issue for me and more of they get there voices back and just speak perfect English, which hey maybe for some its true in my case not so much. Most people don't think about this topic so I am very happy you made this video Thank you

[@felixdeplanques3614]

your story is moving. People like you show so much strength in my opinion !

[@azureequus8045]

@@felixdeplanques3614 aw thank you

[@bluestitches]

💙 :(

[@ImNotAGoose69420]

This channel is so underrated

[@Warlord_Megatron]

110%

[@HellBringer-r9e]

200%

[@Kekkersboy]

Very

[@tylertichoc7330]

Here's the thing I got from Bumblebee in Prime. The very last exchange he ever had with Raphael when he says how much he wishes he could've just spoke to Raphael to show and grow the bond between them and understanding each other. To which Raphael replies "You never had to." That was the moment that stuck out to me just as much if not more then Bumblebee getting his voice back and his problem "cured" or "fixed". Raph's response was a conscious one saying that "you never had to be able to talk in order for me to understand you or for us to be close. You did that all by yourself because you are a good person and you are my friend. There's a type of language that is unspoken that everyone is capable of understanding if we all just took the time and effort to try and understand each other and learn from one another. That's more valuable to me than anything comforting or helpful you could've spoken. Because to me you were always there for me when I needed you most and together we made an effort to learn from and understand each other in a friendship that is stronger than any challenge that might keep us apart. Wether it was you not being able to fully express yourself the way you wanted or the vast distance that will now separate us as you go home and we have to say goodbye. I never became your friend because of what you could or couldn't do, I became your friend because you always mattered to me and what you did since meeting me was what made me want to learn more about you and to grow closer together. You could be completely mute and I would still find a way for us to understand each other because I'm willing to try and I'm willing to change for you because I like you no matter what." And yes, that was what I got from that one back and forth sentence exchange. I got ALL OF THAT from just one line from each character. I think it was easy to miss and that's unfortunately part of the problem. It wasn't a direct representation of the Mute, you are right and I agree. But I think the point was fo show that in life, we will meet those who are different from us. And some of them might be on more severe or drastic differences than others. And sometimes there is a divide that we struggle to understand each other through. But if we take the time, the patience, the effort, the energy, to try and accommodate and adapt to the different needs of those around us who are different, if we are willing to sacrifice our own personal preferences or what we are used to as what is considered "normal" and we are willing to show the "Capacity for Change", then maybe someday, perhaps it might not even be as difficult or distant as we think, maybe we can learn to understand each other and continue to evolve ourselves from learning more about each other and grow closer together. Maybe then we can all finally achieve peace and make sure that no one, no matter how different they are or what they struggle with, is ever left alone or behind or forgotten or excluded or mistreated. Now I've heard some different definitions and opinions on what "Ableism" is, and I'm still not sure if I really understand it or what it means. But I want to learn, I am willing to learn. The same extent of my respect goes to anyone and everyone who is seen as different or "the others". I don't want to see them for what isn't true about them, I want to see them how they WANT to be seen. And they DESERVE to be seen and heard and UNDERSTOOD. They DESERVE to be treated as my equals and I WANT to RESPECT THEM but even moreso, PROTECT THEM. I want to help them so that someday they can live in a world where they are finally accepted for who they really are, in all aspects, flaws and all. Being mute, being blind or deaf, having something that makes life difficult for you ISN'T a PROBLEM that needs to be FIXED! Because I know what that's like. To be treated as weak or damaged or inferior or to be hunted as some kind of animal for sport or amusement or out of spite or fear, JUST BECAUSE I WAS SIMPLY CREATED THIS WAY AND I'M DIFFERENT! My Autism, my Homosexuality, my Anxiety, my Depression, my Bipolar Disorder, they aren't something that is WRONG with me or about me, they MAKE ME WHO I AM! AND I WOULDN'T CHANGE THAT FOR THE WORLD! And I know that there are some painful cases where that kind of outlook on one's own life is not always as much of a happy ending. But by no means does that make their struggles or disabilities or anything A PROBLEM! THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNWILLING TO CHANGE AND SHOW EVEN THE SMALLEST BIT OF CARE OR COMPASSION TO THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM US! IT MAKES ME SICK! And I'm tired of society for the large majority of history and certainly it's populace both past and present treating ANYONE with ANYTHING LESS THEN THE RESPECT AND ACCEPTANCE THEY HAVE ALWAYS DESERVED AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WORTHY OF! Quite frankly I am APPALLED that anyone would DARE treat any of you as lesser beings simply because of something that is outside of your control. Simply because something is different about you that might make life more challenging or scary for YOU. NOT FOR THEM, THEIR INPUT DOESN'T MATTER OR DEFINE WHO YOU ARE AND IF YOU ARE WORTHY OF THE RESPECT ALL LIVING BEINGS DESERVE! What was that one quote? That "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."? Well that goes for respect and support as well! You were always different and always will be, THAT'S NOT A BAD THING AND YOU SHOULD BE ACCEPTED FOR WHO YOU ARE REGARDLESS OF WHAT STRUGGLES YOU FACE! You were always valid and to me you ALWAYS MATTERED and I want you for just the way you really are. Wether we might see the world differently is another matter entirely and irrelevant, I want to see YOU how YOU like! And all parts of you. And if anyone has a problem with that, THEN THEY ARE THE TRULY INFERIOR ONES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR CHANGE OR EMPATHY OR TOLERANCE!!! I want to accept you for who you really are. Your disabilities or problems in life aren't what determine wether I respect you or accept your existence, I will always respect and accept you because you are actually not that different from me. We both feel pain, love, fear, anger, happiness, sadness, despair, confusion, pleasure, we both FEEL! We both THINK! We are both ALIVE! And we are both in this world TOGETHER! So it's time that we finally ACT LIKE IT AND SHARE OUR BONDS AND BURDENS WITH EACH OTHER AND HELP EACH OTHER AND ACCOMMODATE FOR EACH OTHER AND TOLERATE EACH OTHER! WE DO N O T NEED TO TOLERATE HATE OR EVIL OR BULLYING OR PERSECUTION! We are all sentient beings and we all are deserving of love and understanding and a place to belong. And I am truly, humbly sorry if my words here were missing the context or nuance or grasp of understanding and if I misunderstood or misinterpreted all of you who have these struggles due to no faul of your own. I'm just trying to speak to you from here, from the heart, from the soul, from the spark. I want you to know that I am willing to change myself, more than willing to sacrifice my own comfort or sense of "normalcy" if it means stopping any more pain and suffering for any of you all. Because you should never have to endure this kind of injustice and wrongness that you face every moment of your lives in our society. Because quite frankly, if THIS is normal then "normal" SUCKS! And I don't want things to continue to be "normal" if it involves all this hate and suffering. And I want to make it know to the world, right here, right now, that I will a l w a y s stand by you in unity and will do my very best to protect you all and understand you all and help create a better and more beautiful world for you all . . . till me very last breath and the moment I perish from this world and depart it for the next. This I vow . . . with all my spark. This isn't the life I imagined for us either but . . . we fight for the day we no longer have to. 💬 🖐️🦊

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

I think Swindle from armada didn’t talk or atleast starscream didn’t understand him. Starscream cared alot the little guy. outside of the perceptor combiner team I feel like swindle got the most amount of screen time out of any other minicon in armada, so think it would have been the most worth talking about out of all the armada minicons.

[@gyrrakavian]

As someone who both works in a loud factory and goes nonverbal when highly stressed/overwhelmed, I can't reiterate enough how much Sign Language needs to be adapted by more people.

[@Saturnlock]

My AU portrays both Bumblebee and Needlenose as mute. But I did want to make that representation more realistic. Bumblebee uses CSL (Cybertronian sign language.) Most of the Autobot cast understand him, such as Prowl, Optimus, and Ratchet, as they already understood it, other characters had to learn it for the sake of their friend. And it becomes a struggle when new characters are introduced who don't understand him. It's especially difficult when not even his best friend, Hot Rod understands him after losing his voicebox (which was surgically removed by Shockwave.) Bumblebee can still beep, but it's not a language. It's merely a way for him to get someone's attention. Needlenose, however, doesn't know CSL, as he lived in Kaon, which didn't have access to such resources. Instead, he and his brother-figure, Skyquake, made a form of communication that they understand, and Skyquake translates.

[@fangslore9988]

yes, this is also the case in live action movies, the radio communication is only done when humans are about for their benefit, also bumblebee's moans grones and beeps and other noises he makes are known as Cybertronian vocal code kind of like cybertronian morse code, this vocal code started in the live action series but transitioned into the transformers prime series. when Bumblebee does use his radio to talk when he isn't around humans is his way of directly expressing his thoughts like when he pushed down stinger and said "hell no" which is directly a display of thought, funny thing is Bumblebee could technically talk after transformers one but he still has damage to his voice module and can only get sentence or two out before talking becomes painful (transformers weirdly can feel pain) so to counter that he played up his inability to talk

[@jacksondarby746]

I think a neat little fix for RID would be if he didn’t have a symbol engraved on him, but a badge, because having an autobot engraving, might give you away, if you were a bounty hunter. It would make more sense if it got stolen by her and that’s how she convinces the bots she’s a bounty hunter. She’d have official paperwork, just stolen

[@joshuam-vn9rd]

Sound wave breaks his vow of silence just to say "hey. You stupid. Me smart

[@ArcTrooperRod-269]

Let's give a stand ovation for THE BEST MUTE CHARACTER IN THE TRANSFORMERS UNIVERSE: *SNAKE-EYES 😎*

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

Which is the best depiction of snake-eyes that exists in the same universe with transformers? Sunbow, marvel, art of war, that ww2 Dreamwave one, idw 1.0, or the gobots reboot?

[@ArcTrooperRod-269]

​@@diegodankquixote-wry3242love IDW's Specially his relation with scarlett during Cobra Civil War

[@poenpotzu2865]

Love your channel, I'm glad you cover these topics.

[@johngolles342]

The idea bumblebee is the representation of mute people is such a ridiculous thing. He isn’t even mute, he’s a bad joke of jingles

[@TransMascTrump]

If he didn't have the voice box given to him he definitely would've been mute, he needs a voice aid in order to talk

[@TransMascTrump]

Your kinda right though

[@ashadder795]

aren’t the beeps and boops the cybertronian equivalent to Sign language/a communication aid? Or at the very least can be construed that way? Actually, regardless of whether it can be interpreted in that way, I think the (back)story for his mutism is important for the purposes of representation. Some people do lose the ability/desire to use their voice to communicate-especially, as a response to mental/physical trauma (very physical for bee)-and need to use a different method to communicate. So, bee losing his voice and using another method to communicate, is a valid representation of mutism.

[@fangslore9988]

this is very true, he isn't mute, he just happened to have damage to his vocal processor, he was able to talk by takeing every word ever said on all media including the internet and piece together entire sentences including recordings of nest soldiers in order to be able to speak all the names of his fellow Autobots (this is a farcry from the original Bumblebee in G1 who was an absolute chatter box and talked way too much for his own good)

[@thedemolitionmuniciple]

Everyone deserves respectful and dignified representation. Everyone deserves well-written representation. Everyone deserves to see themselves and know that they are heard (or find themselves, and know that they are understood, if it should be the case). Glad to see that RID 2015 did a decent job of it.

[@MamaManta]

Finally someone who talks about Blastwave, and i agree 100% on him having more screen time. I wish he would of came back somehow and signed with the team Thanking them or offering to help for them turning in Nightra.

[@delongjohnsilver7235]

I think if Hasbro were to keep the radio Bumblebee, they could have split the difference with quippy bee as autistic representation. My idea is Bee would use the radio for episodes of selective mutism in a similar way to how people I know use flashcards during these times.

[@fangslore9988]

they wouldn't Bumblebee is a very young transformer and a very good scout (one of the best autobot scouts) as such it was Bumblebee's job to scout areas during the war (ironically he was supposed to be good at stealth missions in addition to scouting) in the live action continuity he is young, cocky, proud and brash in comparison to other scouts like hotrod or the Airibot's top scout Breakaway. (bumblebee is the transformers equivalent of being in his late teens early 20s) also you are completely correct at the end of Transformers 1 his voice box was partially repaired it wasn't able to be fully repaired, so when he spoke too much (more then a sentence or two) it caused him pain so he continued to use his radio and played up his inability to talk for some sympathy points from Sam Witwickie the line "wait, i thought he could talk" statement and Sam's "he can he's just playing it up" is basically proof he can talk just his voice module may still be painful to use. this is why Cade Yeager was trying to find Bee a replacement Bee could tune over time to his original vocal pattern

[@ChudovaLyudina]

Hi Emperor, good video. I have a couple things to add. I agree with most of what you said, but I think that some things could use a more nuanced look. While I do believe that disabled characters should reflect the struggles real life disabled people face we also should take into account that transformers aren't human. Cybertronian disabilities may not always look exactly like human ones, but that doesn't make them less disabling. For example a bot who for some reason can't transform may not register as disabled to us/some of us, but on Cybertron they most likely would be. What I'm trying to say is we need to adjust portrayal of disabilities based on the world the characters live in and coping human experience one-to-one doesn't always work, but that doesn't mean the experience presented isn't relatable to that one of a real disabled person. About non-speaking characters there is a thing called selective mutism. That is essentially when a person can't speak in some situations, but can in others. As an autistic person I know that a lot of us can have non-speaking/nonverbal episodes when it isn't impossible, but very difficult sometimes almost painful to speak. And I would say that it pretty much qualifies as a form of non-speaking representation (although of course different from completely non-speaking people's representation) It's like saying that ambulatory wheelchair user doesn't qualify as a representation of people who use wheelchairs just because they have some capacity to walk even if limited. This relates to a statement a lot of disabled people hear that if you don't struggle enough you aren't disabled. Of course this is utter bullshit, but it still can be very hurtful to people who have less visible or invisible disabilities. Being disabled isn't all about your struggles and misery just as being queer are (I'm queer btw). It is about our lived experiences that may include those of course, but aren't limited to it. And well written representation should show both sides of the coin (joy and sadness). Anyway, explicit disability representation in Transformers from what I've seen (that being all Transformers shows to date lol) ranges from bad and even harmful in some ways to tolerable (except EarthSpark/pos), so I agree none of these characters were good rep. Thanks to everyone who read to this point and if you want to know more about disability and portrayal of disabled characters in media check out Oakwyrm's channel he's really cool. English isn't my first language, so I hope I way able to get my point across clearly. Have a good day/night ❤

[@samsthebeztatstuff8885]

My guess on why soundwave broke his vow is because he couldn’t find a good way to communicate with the high concil, the minicons, and steeljaws pack without them being able to see them. So he broke his vow, and when he left the shadow zone he relized “well I’ve been taking for awhile might as well ignore that vow”

[@DavidGomez-ls6ee]

10:03 this is an overall great video but i do want to correct you on the " humans don't echo locate" part as there are people who can't see that use echolocation. There's an incredible story of this kid who lost his eyes as a baby due cancer but he found a way to "see" by making clicking sounds like a dolphin and in tern use echolocation, it's really fascinating. So arguably Kaon is decent rep. I'm new to TF lore btw.

[@TheGrandAvengeR]

Bee regaining his voice in prime makes sense, as that pool he fell in healed his chest wound, why not his voice box

[@fangslore9988]

because the chest wound was simple to fix, Cade Yeager took the scraps of Optimus's transformium AKA Cyber matter and basically heat it up and melt it down and then use blacksmithing techniques to reshape the pieces to repair them and before him Ratchet basically used a microprograming laser to instruct the transformium/cyber matter into healing, Bumblebee's voice box had entire pieces missing, they cannot restore parts that are simply gone, this is also why Ironhide could not restore his Axion blaster nor his scatter missile launcher. why cade restore the missing peices to bumblebee's voice module was simple, the circuitry was way to complex. but he knew enough about blacksmithing cut the damaged peices off Optimus then melt it down and reforge it then slot the peices back in and use a plasma torch to weld them together via plasma welding. including prime's spark chamber (ironically in G1 all primes had a singularity for a spark which were tiny fragments of Primus' own spark)

[@15oClock]

One not uncommon trait in autism is semi or non-verbal communication. Either they can't speak when overwhelmed or approaching it, or they plain can't speak. I've thought it might be easy to portray autism in Transformers if focusing on having a different processor type, one that can be overwhelmed with data it can't immediately process. Of course, most writers can't even get autism representation right; why am I asking for it in the one where the autistic character would be a robot?

[@Soundwave._]

I really liked Geomotus in IDW 2019, who's canonically autistic. Uprising Transmutate is also canonically autistic. My favourite 'autistic' representation (not just Transformers, but any media) is actually IDW Soundwave, who is not canon but was perfect representation, one of the best depictions of an autistic meltdown I've ever seen, and they showed his special/non-human abilities interacting in a way that made sense (his telepathy gives him sensory overload, which is why he wears the mask and visor. He also uses his telepathy as a disability aid because he doesn't process emotions or social cues well, and it freaks him out if he can't use it, and he's shown to be highly emotional and empathetic, but has flat effect so only his close allies realise this. His vocal quirk (the way he structures his sentences like "Ravage: Eject. Operation: Evisceration.") was something he learned voluntarily to help him process things more clearly, otherwise due to his telepathy he gets overwhelmed and can't even tell who is himself (Soundwave) and someone else (Ravage). I like that because autistic people also struggle with I/you personal pronouns and grammar.

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

This was actually an idea I think was done really well by the character BB in Best Wars The second. While he seems like (Andis sometimes written like) he's just a meat head who can only speak the word "roger!" And very little else, In alot of the episodes, he's shown to be actually quite smart and observate. When BB thinks starscream is going to do something that could backfire onto him or endangered him, he'll says a single word or a short phrase and best bromigo starscream will understand exactly what he means and usually rethink his actions, with BB often being right. While this is probably done for comedy, and they didn't actually intend for BB to be on the spectrum, I think it works very well. It also should be noted both BB and starscream only follow Galvatron because they think he's the best fit leader for the Destrons and not out of loyalty, which means he's smart enough to come to a nuanced political opinions.

[@Soundwave._]

@@diegodankquixote-wry3242 I love Starscream and BB! I see them as both autistic, but different areas of the spectrum. They have ND solidarity. BB is definitely shown to be clever, and he can think for himself and challenge Starscream. Canonically he is loyal because Starscream saved his life, so it's not at all mindless. It's also clear that BB has struggles with communication and how other characters perceive him, unlike Bumblebee who is understood easily by everyone, BB actually faces difficulties for functioning differently. I wish BB showed up in more media.

[@fangslore9988]

true but being robots transformers don't suffer disabilities, Soundwave didn't speak because to him none were worth speaking to, if you weren't on his intellectual level you were not worth any attention, even Megatron was not worthy of being spoken to in terms of intelect but Soundwave was obedient, and so Megatron entrusted the Decepticon's darkest secrets to him knowing he would not tell a soul since none were worth talking to. bumblebee was not a mute he suffered a vocal processor damage in battle but he could still talk through Cybertronian vocal code and his radio which he used to talk to humans and express his immediate thoughts.

[@galaxycamerata]

@@fangslore9988 That's fundamentally untrue because Transformers in most versions of the franchise aren't really robots so much as they are mechanical lifeforms. Yeah, they're made of metal, but it's a metal that grows and shapes like flesh with its own equivalent of a DNA structure. And DNA is not a perfect blueprint. Things can form with a wild amount of variation both within the structure and as a result of external interferences like radiation or genetic tampering, not all of it necessarily good and presentable. And that's not counting the ones that suffer war injuries that are too extensive or too close to vital organs to risk further surgery, or the ones that have very human mental illnesses from a result of either how they were born or the trauma they were put through. They may not have the EXACT same disabilities we do or express them in the ways we do, and the most common cited cases may not neatly line up, but they do have them, and a lot of writing decisions around them in more recent times are based explicitly around the fact that only a minority of them were ever technically "built".

[@HellBringer-r9e]

Love the emporer content love the vids nice to meet a true true transformers lore KZbinr keep up the nice and great work

[@TheDaxter11]

10:40 One reason I don't see this as working is because Cybertronians aren't _just_ robots. They transform, they have a LOT of moving parts and while we clearly see they can be healed and "fixed", I really doubt its all that easy and imagine there would be some types of injuries and other things that just wouldn't be able to be completely repaired. Edit: Its the same reason why, despite numerous media claiming that its possible, I refuse to believe a Cybertronian that transforms into a car can "just scan a jet" and become a flier. There's no way in hell its that easy. Same with extensive body cosmetic surgery to make them look like a completely different person. The only way that could be done "easily" would be transferring their spark (and possibly brain module) into a different body.

[@derekosoriomartinez5974]

At least while he isn’t mute, Bumblebee never spoke once or used a different type of sound communication in Fall of Cybertron Video Game

[@Soundwave._]

I had a feeling Blastwave would be the one getting special commendation! I do want to partially defend TFP Soundwave, though. I don't think the writers can necessarily get credit for this being intentional, but as an autistic person, I am speaking 90% of the time. Sometimes, however, my ability to process language get all crossed and nothing comes out. Watching the show in isolation without knowing the reasoning behind Soundwave's choice, it comes across as Soundwave using a method of communication which is more comfortable to him, even if he has the option available not to. The scene where he's strapped down by the Autobots reminded me a lot of ABA (sort of conversion therapy/legalised torture for autistic people). Ratchet even says he doesn't view Soundwave as an "ordinary Cybertronian" and this is justification for cutting Soundwave open and medically extracting the data. This is right after Soundwave demonstrated humour and emotion by remixing Optimus' words and taunting them with a smiley face (I am aware that canonically he is supposed to have 'deleted' his emotions, but it feels like a Data from Star Trek situation, he repeatedly expresses humour, anger, frustration, fear, shock etc). Optimus then threatens torture and Soundwave lets out a shrill frequency which reminds me of an autistic screech. Disabled people don't owe "proof" of their emotional or verbal capabilities, but Soundwave's moment was badass to me not because he broke his vow, but because he took autonomy of his body the only way he could while others threatened to take that from him. I don't think Soundwave is involuntarily mute, but I think his motivations for taking a vow may be linked (non-canonically) to him being neurodivergent. The fact that others mock him for not speaking or emoting the same way they do reflects my lived experience as a disabled person, and if I had the communication capabilities which Soundwave's alien physiology allows (recordings, visor screen which can type as quick as thought) I would use the same methods. Sure, as a choice, not involuntary mutism, but not the same sort of choice a neurotypical person would make. P.S. Megatron and Soundwave's friendship gets talked about a lot but I really liked Starscream and Soundwave's friendship in TFP. Starscream often comes to rant to Soundwave, knowing that he will actively listen and not just observe. Soundwave uses voice clips and NVC around Starscream more than any other character besides Megatron. Starscream is also aware of Soundwave's emotions and uses them against him when scheming. Starscream also goes to Soundwave to make his statement of loyalty instead of straight to Megatron. I also like how Soundwave interacts with the human children, he leaves them alive when he could have killed them multiple times (when Raf hacked the satellite, when they stole the relic from the museum), but he also shows humour again by taking a picture of Miko after she takes a picture of him, and when he "remixes" Optimus, all the Autobots are unnerved and angry, only Miko recognises the Earth humour. He showed that smiley face after she pointed out it was a remix. He likes when others recognise his humour. I think he partly got so angry with Airachnid because she insinuated that because he doesn't speak he has no autonomy, the idea he would protest her command decision was a laughable joke. He never curb-stomped Starscream the same way, even though Starscream actively tried to kill Megatron far more times. This was more of an info-dump than I intended it to be but yeah TFP Soundwave was accidentally really good and nuanced autistic representation to me, though I don't think any of it was intentional.

[@totallynotaferret]

New headcannon: achieved

[@Soundwave._]

@@totallynotaferret Steadily I spread my autistic nonspeaking Soundwave agenda

[@amazingkitten3721]

So much YES!! Genuine thanks for the info-dump, I love Soundwave too and have the same headcanon but I didn't notice all the details you pointed out!

[@Soundwave._]

@@amazingkitten3721 Thank you for reading! I personally think every Soundwave is some level of neurodivergent :)

[@MxJester]

I think it's really sad that there aren't many mute characters in media, but especially in transformers content. I tend to come up with my own headcanons for media and I've done that in basic all of transformers media. I like to think Soundwave is mute, rather than taking a vow of silence. I also like the idea of Bumblebee communicating in that servo language that I believe was in the idw comics. I would love to see more mute characters, even though I speak a LOT. It's nice

[@SourelppA]

I would love to see blastwave again in future transformers projects!

[@boundmoonkingdom]

I kind of get the involuntary muteness. People would sometimes think I was mute just because I wouldn't talk. I just am very shy and uncomfortable around new people I don't really know well. The more comfortable I am the more I will talk. It can get a little hard in my life since I tend to work in places that do require a lot of talking, like customer service.

[@fangslore9988]

think of Bumblebee as someone with throat damage after transformers 1 he can speak but it causes him pain so he plays up his muteness to avoid speaking as much as possible

[@Ryder-a-Blaze]

3:46 Bludgeon’s chest looks like a carved pumpkin on Halloween

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

Yes, It is indeed supposed to look like a spooky skull.

[@saagabragi6938]

In my fics TFP Soundwave is a "flathead" empurata victim, and actually _can't_ speak. I also have Bumblebee use sign language and cybertronian morse.

[@vihaan_17]

Can we just talk about how stupidly the writers did not include Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen in their beast hunters opening? thats literally one of the few things i hate in the master piece called TFP. (binge watching lately)

[@MassHystarix]

Didn't have Jackie either

[@vihaan_17]

@@MassHystarix Exactly. Bulk's bf NEEDED be there. damn i forgot to mention him.

[@KTWhatsup]

And what does this have to do with Mute Characters?

[@vihaan_17]

@@KTWhatsup Does everything needs to be on topic? Got a problem?

[@fangslore9988]

i wish they did, Ultra Magnus was the most loyal autobot captain to ever live, he was 2nd in command of the Autobots and Optimus's right hand bot and a veteran of the war of cybertron (in the G1 continuity he was so loyal he never once questioned Optimus, always Ultra Magnus if given an order from prime, his first and last thoughts was "how can i best achieve this mission, and make sure it is done correctly?") the funny thing is Ultra Magnus was an elite guard who was hand chosen by Optimus to be his second in command due to his skills as a fighter, his leadership skills and his unquestioning loyalty, and Ultra Magnus even admires Optimus for his strong leadership style and stoic personality. a farcry from his time being Orion Pax, a scribe assigned to the Knights of Iacon

[@somehelluvafanboy8357]

Would be cool to see a badass villain character that's actually mute and their muteness isn't just for badassness Or a character with selective mutism, like Raj from TBBT, who can't speak in presence of a woman unless alchooholized

[@edsonjairquinteromagana9079]

Seems like most of the "mute" characters are intentionally mute, or can use other type of language, others are unable to speak, others choose to not speak because they look badass and others who hace recovered their voice.

[@O-P-96]

About Soundwave's vow of silence and him breaking it in RID2015: I personally think that part of the reason he kept the vow in TFP is because he's one of the only characters that could challenge Megatron for the control of the Decepticons (something he wouldn’t do of course), so to avoid a crisis of leadership situation between him and Megatron, he doesn't speak, and instead use recordings of Megatron when he has to remind someone of an order. That way it's Megatron's word first and foremost, and not his. In other words, the vow evolved from "letting my actions do the talking" to "Megatron's word is absolute". The reason he could have broken his vow is because Megatron's final order was for the Decepticons to disband, something which Soundwave could have learned from the High Council or some way else. Since he's directly going against that order, and by extension Megatron, he choose to speak again. At least, that's the headcanon I'll probably use in my story, since I chose to have TFP be connected to WFC and FOC, and Soundwave spoke in the games.

[@Luna-we4yc]

transformers prime is already connected to wfc and foc fyi, tho that is interesting how the vow differes between the differing media within the aligned continuity (aligned referring to woc,foc, prime, rescue bots/academy and rid 2015). im sorry if i sound rude any way whatsoever and hope you amazing progress with your story

[@beatrizoliveira3871]

6:22 Gosh...I must confess I've forgotten how nice this moment is!

[@KanuKanu11]

This is such an amazing video, I can't wait to see more in the future.

[@rafcor6799]

6:45 That's true, for example there's this character called Fizzarolli from Helluva Boss, who lost his limbs and horns because of an accident, he confirmed it was painful and challenging, but he did move on in his life and now he uses robotic prosthesis limbs (made by someone special to Fizz) wich can stretch making him slippery and agile

[@hello-yo4if]

im very appreciative of your effort to explore this part of transformers! especially adverting the notion they’re robots and shouldn’t be disabled, as as you mention, it’s simply lazy and even ableist. if anything, they’re still alien beings with character and struggles similar to any sentient being.

[@trapper_fr1es595]

I’m pretty sure bumblebee regained his voice at the end of prime because of the cybermatter in the omega lock

[@Knock0u7-Starscream]

I made a blind Transformers OC named Spoiler in one of my fanfics she's an outliner who can see visions of the future but her visions are the only thing she can see.

[@minimalbstolerance8113]

Interesting idea. Sounds a bit like Kairos Fateweaver from the Warhammer universe. He's a bird creature with two heads, one of which can see into the past, while the other can see into the future, but he can't see the present.

[@Knock0u7-Starscream]

@@minimalbstolerance8113 Cool.

[@Deby_Bumblebee]

I actually think Bumblebee beeps are very nice but, hearing his real voice back is such a Amazing and beautiful feeling. I like a bit more the beeps than the Radio but both are cool... Good explanation for the Mute Characters Oh and I'm trying to learn sign language, cause is someone we all should know cause there's a lot of people who can't speak or hear, and they communicate in that way 😊

[@Skylar200.]

There's also Undertone from Transformers Robot's in disguise, haven't really seen RID in a while so my memorie is foggy, but I remember Ratchet saying Undertone was a "Strong but silient" type. I don't remeber if there was more stuff about him later on or not.

[@anneboonchuy17]

Soundwave from prime was peak

[@dodfighter1236]

Ong!

[@GaryThePro505]

_: )_

[@lDeath_]

Bumblebee speeaking in beeps is like him doing sign language with his the beeping device

[@blueraccoon1088]

My girlfriend is sometimes a quiet woman she does speak sentences but she is a good listener especially her actions specially speak well. We write notes to fill her voice and i know what she says. Our teacher one time thought i can talk to her telepathicly like a titan and minicon but she's the titan i am the minicon. We laughed at it but we spoke in conversation with yes or no questions and she was a bumblebee fan and i can say she makes her role real as quiet and strong type 😊

[@saagabragi6938]

10:04 Actually some humans _DO,_ but yeah human echollcation isn't as gold as Kaon's seems to be.

[@homie37]

This video is honestly what helped me make my version of drift So he basically loses his voice to bludgeon, and for the first bit he’d have to use sign language or writing, but after a while, he’d meet the junkions, who’d help him speak with the radio

[@davekisman2763]

"Watch out for the quiet ones."

[@z.o.m.b.i.e.]

Laserbeak was mute too , you should have mentioned him , he's a cybertronian after all

[@emperorkumquat]

I did mention him, didn’t you watch the whole video?

[@z.o.m.b.i.e.]

@@emperorkumquat lol I skipped some part to check him 😂😂😂

[@TimeKitt]

Just one mention to lump him in with animal minicons and dismiss him. He just can't catch a break with this.

[@warrior_writer09]

Sidelock from my fanfiction is mute bc I felt like Bee wasn't ever really confronted with the reality of being mute. Plus my mom is deaf so I always felt for people who can't speak/hear

[@P_MC478]

Maybe Fall of Cybertron's Bumblebee was mute, I mean he didn't appear very much but he didn't speak as well

[@kira-dk2mx]

The Bumblebee movie does the radio speak the best. It slowly establishes Bee learning to use it until the end, and has a sweet payoff. In the bayverse, Bee already has it but barely uses it throughout all five movies. Pretty sure they keep forgetting he has a radio and just has him doing sounds in some scenes or something.

[@Wildcard024]

I hope they add Blastwave to Legacy. He looked cool and definitely would be good representation.

[@denazavala8331]

You know in my transformers fanfic there are a few bot that are disabled and stay disabled and why they didn't get "fixed" is because it was normal for them or because the choosed not to.

[@dankmemes4744]

I surprised nightbird wasn’t brought up. To my knowledge there the one of the few transformers characters that were “born” mute

[@WaveRider482]

i was almost about to start ranting in the comments about how you forgot about blast wave and then you showed a picture and i was immediately speechless😂

[@ToasterwithToast.]

I’d love to see a comic or animation about blastwave, the story potentials could be awesome, like maybe him and another transformer don’t get a long because of the voice and can’t work together but eventually they become good friends being able to understand each other fairly well and standing up for each other.

[@thabsoffical.-8742]

What about FoC version? I know it’s technically apart of the aligned continuity but to be fair, it can be considered it’s own thing in a sense

[@ninomitchell2039]

I kind of agree with your friend and general assessment on blastwave and his reason for being mute. I learned asl as a kid because I was a mute until I was 3 or so. I can talk and always had a functioning voice box and ears. However, I am on the spectrum and it's often in stone point in our lives we become mutes (in some cases just never talking to begin with). That being said I'm a chatterbox now and still think blastwave's episode is one of the more well done pieces of sign language related media I can think of that I've seen, that I've seen at least

[@_obsessedescapist_]

7:56 Oh my. Bumblebee here sounds like a [big shot]

[@atsilv]

In IDW, Swerve was also stated to have been mute from a traumatic experience for a time before the comics.

[@szymonlewandowski9690]

This is a great video, but I think the part where you try to justify as to why a machine would be disabled is kinda weak. In my mind, a Cybertronian might be deaf, mute or blind because their function never required it. An archivist like Orion Pax maybe never needed the ability to talk. Spending most of their time alone, doing their job and rarely interacting with other people. Imagine that in the context of the Quintesson origin, we're after Transformers claim Cybertron, now they have to deal with a society full of robots that weren't build to speak, hear or talk.

[@ReklessIndigo]

I think that bumblebee's beeps in TFP is like Cybertronian morse code

[@Darth-vade123]

Starscream would do well to listen to soundwave Megatron's plan hit a road block to it

[@Dragonkid69]

Mute Character have always been interesting to me As in a way it shows how those with That kind disability communicate be it through sigh language body Language or general expression These characters can sometimes be seen as Heroic or villainous sometimes mostly villainous as the silent Non verbal villain always have the most fans but representation of Disabilities has to be handled with care and heart not just to fill a political agenda quota

[@GARDRAWS]

We need a sign language using bumblebee

[@Vinylmelody1517]

I was diagnosed with selective mutism when I was younger and while I could still talk, high stress situations would leave me unable to form words. While therapy has helped me to live with this and I'm more capable of speech during those types of situations there are times where my voice just won't come out. My family would often think i was being rude or dismissive when I'd fail to speak which would make me more stressed and upset. I would like to see a transformer character who has this type of mutism in the future. Maybe a bumblebee who can't speak not due to physical injury but mental trauma.

[@WeirdoMouse123]

Fun fact + Theory: Something happens in humans where if you get a limb replaced, once the limb is accepted by the rest of your body, it will slowly morph into the shape and size of your original limb. I know about physical trauma patients, not about genetic missing limbs. I'm not sure what traits would be kept or what would be changed. However, limbs with shape themselves to match the rest of the body's bone structure, mell - oh - nin (I can't spell for the life of me - I'm so sorry), and mostly size and shape. It happens over a few months or years, although I'm not as familiar with the timeline. Perhaps beings with CNA, not DNA, would have the same thing happen to them. If a limb is directly connected to them instead of extended over them, their limb would 'transform' to match their original DNA. We know that transformers have semi permanent or permanent armor on their bodies more often than the replacing of their limbs, so it could make more sense. Plus, transformers usually replace their limbs with something that resembles their original, very rarely changing unless it's with their t-cog. Starscream is even annoyed in Prime when KO can't replace his original limb, and OP is horrified at how Megatron alters his body to wield the primes' weapons. Limb replacement is probably extremely rare, although more accepted in modern days (this can probably be inferred from KO suggesting a new arm design entirely, even if it's mostly like the original). It may be embarrassing to lose a limb, but Soundwave and Shockwave, the bots with the most body modifications, stay inside most of the time or take on more workshop careers. They may have to take strong medications in order to prevent themselves from reverting back or (probably most frightening) having their limbs revert them instead from the greater amount of prosthetic CNA. These characters are notoriously slower. Soundwave moves very slowly when not in battle. They may be in pain as well. I think replacing a limb in Transformers is sometimes a worse option than just living without it, even if 'extensions' of the body like armor or t-cog produced weapons are popular.

[@Necrokittyy]

Most mute Cybertronians are always represented with stereotypes or are not really mute ( Like Bumblebee, since he can talk using beeps and audio recordings ) , the only character that represents the mutes well is a human, evans from transformers: rescue bots, From what I analyzed about the character, he can speak words with two syllables and most of the time he communicates using grunts, He is not presented as a "dumb" character but as a very intelligent guy, In addition to being mute, he also wears glasses, which indicates that he also has vision problems ( Other simple representation ) I swore you would comment about him in this video, He's a very good character despite being just a secondary villain along with his brother, The only bad thing is that there are a lot of jokes about the fact that he is mute in the cartoon :/

[@haydenreviewscustomcombos]

I’m still waiting for a transformers character to either use a wheelchair, or transform into one. Maybe that could be the alt mode of the transformers prime Apex armor.

[@Bunbiichuffn]

I heard the whistles smell immediately my brain went to BIONICLE's Nuju

[@A-0-K-GAMER]

Give this man more subscribers

[@JackieMReacts]

i kinda viewed the bumblebees in cyberverse and the live action movies using radio and tv sounds as a sort of text to speech board or something, which i know nonverbal autistic folks use sometimes, and that live action bumblebee uses that instead of speaking because it hurts his throat to speak

[@ArcTrooperRod-269]

*13:46** Well, I highly recommend your Pal to watch G.I. JOE RENEGADES* _The way that show potrays the inhability to speak if Snake Eyes deserves a 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿_

[@teawrecks1243]

The portrayal of disability is kind of an issue when robots are concerned. Like, obviously it's poor representation to have someone's disability be "magically cured" since in real life it doesn't work that way, but in a fictional universe where they can be repaired or healed, where they can be blown up into pieces and still be welded together, and yet are just left that way? It seems kind of unnecessarily cruel to keep Bumblebee mute in a setting where they can be rebuilt from far more grevious damages and yet not replace his speech synthesizer.

[@ИльяНедбаев-у3н]

Agree, also on topic of prime, ratchet fixed bee t-cog which in my imagination is far more complex than text to speech device

[@joeythecar0_099]

Emperor kumquat i really hope you do a video about why robots in disguise is the worst because I've seen others reviews on it and in there are some parts of the show that are down right stupid. And maybe you can explain every detail about the bad rewriting and how dumb it was to explain how starscream survived the predecons.

[@gyrrakavian]

6:35 At least we get this with Ultra Magnus and his prosthetic hand.

[@matrixpictures7799]

i didn't realize the fake leg on dot until now

[@Spyanter2000]

Personally, Bumblebee becoming mute/in need of a voice aid is the only change I’ve liked that they made to modern Bumblebee ever since the first Michael Bay movie. Cause atleast it was the only original change he got. The almost entire rest of modern Bumblebee is basically Hotrod/Rodimus. Which is obvious when you consider that modern Bee is a hybrid of Hotrod and Hot Shot(Who I think was ALSO supposed to be a take on Hotrod) and he was originally going to be Hot Rod but they had name issues during that time and just went “Oh uhhh Let’s make that Bumblebee.” In my personal theory, Skids and Mudflap were originally planned to be Bumblebee and Cliffjumper

[@cupcakeprime559]

Lets be honest, sometimes the creators just don't want to pay for a voice actor.

[@helloiwanttootakeoverthewo3217]

It’s hard to actually be a mute robot Truly think about it they are all born the same way so it’s hard to actually make a mute character the easiest way to make a mute is by making characters vowed by silence Bludgeon is actually mute but do to his face being a emotionless and him being a alien why would he need to learn sign language But then we do have characters like Blastwave who actually do use sign language You can also take movie bumblebee as a example of sign language cause the movies use the radio as a form to that Then we can also use overlords minicons as mutes but to counter that they wouldn’t be mutes they could just represent autistic children since the minicon groups represent different kinds of children Disk minicon represents athletic children Torpedoes represent violent children And cyclones represent autism or troubled children

[@haydenreviewscustomcombos]

I always thought TF prime soundwave was just mocking the other characters. Guess not.

[@zara-hope5518]

Maybe Blastwave was a low caste that came back to Cybertron on a refugee ship and even though he hated it he had no choice but to take on the Autobot insignia so he wouldn't be tossed in prison but had it on a spot he could hide it because having it would feel like betrayal to the caste he was from.

[@lupexrex6615]

To be fair to bumblebee and all his incarnations he has had his voice box ripped out for like millions of years I think he deserves to get his voice box back lmao

[@ManoraManYT]

10:04 humans can actually echo locate we actually had a class on this recently a few people learn how to do it but it does take dedication something I could actually appreciate if I was a blind person but I can’t speak on this

[@Sub-Atomic]

I think too much credit is given to the Transformer's perception ability in the case of Blastwave. In lore, this is also partially Blastwave's fault, but his symbol is on his groin, it's not anywhere clear cut like the chest or the forehead, he still could have done placating motions sure, but the main bots jumping into conflict when their supposed friend is in danger is kinda on brand, and would make it far harder for him to even try.

[@AndrewDavis-sj6mb]

Mute characters can useful when come in at the right coordination.

[@DeeRizz]

I clicked when it came into my recommended

[@Alina87967]

I think this is my favorite video.

[@blueraccoon1088]

14:58 no disrespect to your friend but just because there's an autobot logo doesn't mean ally remember sentinel?

[@emilybriand9453]

Blastwave would be pointing at his private area...'-_-