Where Megatron (D-16) Went Wrong

[@emperorkumquat]

Next I'll probably do a discussion about the new season of EarthSpark (I think the show got better, buut...) and an update video about my Transformers Prime story game (Transformers: Mercy)! Check out pictures for the game here: ko-fi.com/emperorkumquat

[@ANP4158]

Orion? Toxic? Bad friend? Nah he’s neat

[@rickyrackey7930]

Eric Bauza as Prowl is brilliant.

[@aliastheabnormal]

Vehicons tend to be sparkless transformers. They may have minds. But they have no souls.

[@allared9008]

Wooooooooo!!! I’m excited did the new videos ❤

[@AutobotSonicTheTelltaleGamer]

Yessssss, can't wait to hear your thoughts on EarthSpark Season 3!

[@stevemanart]

D-16 is a perfect example of a line I've used a few times in my own writing "Your frustrations are understandable, but your responses are unforgivable"

[@ArcTrooper269]

@@stevemanart & pretty ironic how Cogless D is physically identical to Megatronus, but once D takes Megatronus Cog & becames Megatron, his design completely changes & no longer looks like him, the more Megatron tries to get closer to Megatronus, the more away he ends of him

[@CrazyJabberwock]

the term I've used was "what happened to you is Inexcusable, what you've done is also inexcusable."

[@mackenziewoloschuk7375]

Ooh, that line is so good, I wanna use that!

[@tylermorgan5230]

@@ArcTrooper269 yep

[@ArcTrooper269]

D-16 in this movie is the living embodyment of: _Power doesn't corrupt you, it only brings to light THE TRUE SIDE OF YOU_

[@TheWarmachine375]

@@ArcTrooper269 As Abraham Lincoln would say, "To test a man of his true character, give him power."

[@korsekil]

It wasn't just power. Unlike Orion, D-16 had no "true side" of himself, because he relied on external dogma to validate himself. Initially, that dogma was his belief in the system, and in his heroes, Sentinel and Megatronus. But all that came crashing down when it was revealed that Sentinel killed Megatronus, stole his cog, and rigged the system against people like him (and in fact all of Iacon since he was giving energon to their enemy). So D-16 lashed out against Orion (who he saw as one of the causes of this disaster, but still channeled his full rage against Sentinel), became volatile and unstable, and then when the High Guard offered him a new dogma, the "strength of one bot over another", he seized it and made it his core personality. And then when he had power, he made it everyone's problem.

[@illosovic]

Dude, it's literally the opposite in the case of d16 😅

[@ArcTrooper269]

@illosovic Didn't you watched the video? Littlerally D is a sociopath in this continuity, he always blames everyone except himself Besides, Orion & Elita suffered THE SAME as D, & Bee sufered EVEN MORE, yet none of them became a Psycho Supr*mac¡St once they got a Cog,

[@stevemanart]

Power isn't the source of corruption, but is the greatest temptation of the corruptible.

[@TheWarmachine375]

There was a scrapped concept of D-16 being a gladiator in Transformers One which they should have turned it into an offhand comment by D-16 that he went underground boxing off-duty. Which would explain how he was good at melee combat even before he got the T-Cog gift from Alpha Trion.

[@milkiassamuel780]

That would explain his fighting skills and I kinda wished they kept that, though if we get a sequel I can see them including a small scene of Megatron in a gladiator fighting pit training among the Decepticons while they plot against Optimus on the surface

[@emperorkumquat]

@@TheWarmachine375 I also think it was unrealistic though for Elita to beat Airachnid

[@TheWarmachine375]

​@@emperorkumquat Elita-1 just jumped at Airachnid, tackling her to the ground (she did drive at high speed to do so) than straight up throwing hands with the henchwoman of Sentinel Prime like TF Prime Arcee did.

[@egbertmilton4003]

@@emperorkumquat It really isn't. Even if she lacks combat training, she has a Prime's cog in her chest. All of the main characters have powerful T-cogs, which, as we see with Megatronus, do have differences in power. She's already very adaptable on the fly, despite her anger, and she's already used to getting down and dirty, as is D-16. Meanwhile, Airachnid, while a formidable opponent, relies on getting the drop on people. While she can hold her own definitely, she struggles in drawn out fights. Meanwhile D-16 isn't great at melee combat. He gets absolutely bodied when his opponent is serious against him, as we see when Sentinel manhandles him with a single transformation grab, and Optimus when the axe comes out. The main strength he has is from his constant transformations with Megatronus's T-Cog, and his rage. He's a brute of fury and power, he's not a technical fighter in any of his battles, outside the attatchment of his tank turret on his back.

[@marinanieto7670]

Fr if only it had more 20 minutes they've could've packed so much more lore to make the story make more sense lol but im still fine with the end result we got if i rlly wanna see something cathered especifically for an absolute transnformers lore nerd(positively so) im gonna patiently wait for the brutal 500.000 words rewrite fanfic of transformers one that includes a bunch more cool conceps of other univirses 2 drop comin from someone who would put most guys at hasbro 2 shame lol

[@michaelbk0076]

The thing I really like about D-16 is how realistic he is as a person, not just a character. He's someone who was born into an unfair system, but told himself that his role, regardless of how shitty it was, was required. He wanted more, but he also knew that he couldn't really do anything about it. After all, he didn't have a cog. But once he discovers the truth, he gets upset. And once he gets a cog, he gets his first taste of power. Power that he had *no* intention of losing. After all, he's been lied to his entire life, and was made to be nothing more than a slave because of the choices Sentinel made. Of course he'd want to strike back at the man who made his life miserable. Of course, we can see from an outsiders perspective that he went too far, but if we were in the same situation, would we still think killing Sentinel is too much? After all, there are tons of people who probably feel powerless because of the suits running our world. What happens if they get power? Would they try and find a better way? Or would the only thing they understand anymore be revenge?

[@ilyte1]

I'm outside of his position and I don't even support the death penalty. And even I think killing him isn't necessarily too far. The issue is that inciting a riot or going full french rev, and having a trial that leads to more trials and more executions, has bad implications for cybertron. It's not worth it to punish one bot if you're taking the whole planet with you

[@anakinlowground5515]

@@ilyte1 Yeah. Sentinel got what was coming to him. He deserved to die, but Megatron killing innocents out of rage? That's too far

[@nont18411]

Plus, Optimus was quite optimistic (see what I’m doing?) about this. He wanted Sentinel to be put on trial but knowing what Sentinel did, he could still somehow bribe the judges to get away with his crimes (hell, he literally told Megatron that they “can rule Cybertron together” to save himself. That’s how sleazy he was). If we look at history, we will see how many of the culprits got away with their crimes, like when the Japanese imperial family and the guy who ran Unit 731 got away with their crimes because they struck a deal with MacArthur. Megatron was right to kill him. And to be fair, he was quite right to want to destroy the old regime as well because killing off one bad guy is not enough to make a long-lasting meaningful revolution. What aren’t right about this, however, are that he shot and dropped Optimus to die and he could potentially kill civilians as a collateral damage.

[@Mardanzo]

something I noticed that everyone got wrong in the movie is that Orion didn't took the shot for Sentinel because he believed he didn't deserve to die, but because he wanted to save D-16 from becoming the thing he hates the most, which was the ultimate act of selfless sacrifice anyone could make for a close friend. When he tries to convince D he even says "don't be like Sentinel".

[@vee-bee-a]

Sentinel had it coming. To the Pit with his spark for all the evil he inflicted!

[@milkiassamuel780]

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. He truly made me sympathise with Megatron as a character and allowed me to see him from a whole new perspective as this tragic revolutionary turned villainous mad warlord. The scene where he said he wanted to kill Sentinel gave me *CHILLS!* 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, like in Transformers: Prime, Transformers Animated, the IDW comics or Transformers: Armada). What makes this Megatron more tragic but also more dangerous than other Megatrons in the past is that he isn't motivated by greed, hatred, or a lust for power (not yet at least)...hes a vengeful victim, a product of a corrupt system. 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, he was happy as this introverted simple nerdy bot who believed in the system and his friendship with Orion and his admiration for Megatronous were some of the only things that kept him going but now 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 extroverted reckless 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 D16 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 making us care about Megatron

[@rickyrackey7930]

@@milkiassamuel780 One thing that makes Brian such a good actor is that he can play a comedic character that could make us laugh (or cringe depending who’s watching) and go completely 180 and have us absolutely terrified.

[@Tygger777]

It wasn't only D-16's fault. The look, and gasp, he gives Optimus after being told to leave is one of disbelief that he can no longer see Orion in Optimus, just someone who thinks they deserve power, a prime. I think Optimus was unwilling to forgive Megatron's betrayal of him. It's a small touch, but I like that it make Optimus just as culpable for what happens next.

[@DarkSlayerCastle]

@@Tygger777 he deep down forgives him in my opinion, but doesn’t say it out loud he banished megs and I know he misses d-16 the past him

[@Fandomhopps456]

I'm glad you mentioned D-16's eye color change from yellow to orange. It's not something people notice while watching this movie. It's a subtle way to show the audience how D was slowly starting his ascension into Megatron

[@MarblesEye]

I heard in a other video that the gold of his eyes were kindof reflective of the gold on Sentinal, that his being was totally invested in what he thought he stood for. It really gave me the foreshadowing chills when he remarks to Orion on Sentinal's inspiring qualities during his Iacon 5000 broadcast when we know those will basically truly describe Optimus and ironically won't be able to stand that later on.

[@-Spartanoblivion1515]

The one thing I thought was cool about Orions and D-16’s character development (and the writing) was that as the story progresses, Orion starts out reckless and rebellious, disobeying the law, then becomes more cautious and restrained at the end. As for D-16 he starts out by obeying the rules and being careful, but by the end, he went off the deep end and became violently radical. So in short these two became each other by the end of the story. Optimus Prime adopted the best traits of D-16, and Megatron adopted the worst traits of Orion pax. Then again I could be wrong about all this and I’m just misinterpreting their characters arcs.

[@vanndymaywho1910]

I noticed that too! They really rubbed off on each other.

[@Logan-j1d9e]

I agree! I also think this shift started to happen around the time Alpha Trion revealed the truth to the team, which adds more layers to the whole story.

[@moonwhooper]

I noticed that too

[@MogusMasterSaikawa22]

orion going against rules wasn't a bad thing he was a slave so it was really megatron adopted the best traits of optimus in a bad way

[@-Spartanoblivion1515]

@@MogusMasterSaikawa22 well I guess it all depends on the laws and rules he’s disobeying, like if the laws were put in place by a good noble leader and those laws were equally as good as the good leader is, then Orion disobeying them would be bad. But if the laws that were put in place by a bad leader (like sentinel) and those laws reflected how bad the bad leader was, then disobeying them wouldn’t be bad. And that’s what I said in a way, like I consider D-16 and Megatron to be different characters. Same with Orion and Optimus prime. Which is why I said “Optimus Prime adopted the best traits of D-16, and Megatron adopted the worst traits of Orion pax.” They became wildly different characters at the end of the story.

[@TheWarmachine375]

I can imagine Shattered Glass version of Transformers One where D-16 managed to reign in his anger and be strong enough to be gentle, while Orion Pax became more desperate to bring change to Cybertron's society the easy way or the hard way. And when SG!D-16 becomes worthy of the Matrix of Leadership, he becomes Megatronus Prime II after his hero Megatronus acknowledges him. While SG!Orion Pax rips apart Sentinel Prime Bayverse style and takes Megatronus' T-Cog, transforming himself into Optronix Nox.

[@error_Occurred_noNameFound]

We NEED a Shattered Glass TV show or movie aimed at old fans rather than new people

[@jack_The_ComicFan63]

If we had a shattered glass version of the film, I'm pretty sure all the primes would he heralds of a chaos bringer primus. While unicron would be the good one.

[@error_Occurred_noNameFound]

@jack_The_ComicFan63 and Unicron's Heralds are basically all like Optimus Prime in that they are all just blessed Cybertronains would be cool

[@jack_The_ComicFan63]

@@error_Occurred_noNameFound yeah pretty much, galvatron, scourge, cyclonus and so forth would be the "primes" of a SG universe.

[@Furydragonstormer]

In Shattered Glass, it'd be more likely Sentinel remains alive (At least for longer) with D stripping him of Megatronus' cog and reclaiming that power to use it for good. Because in SG, the Matrix is also going to be the opposite of what it is in the normal variants of the transformers lore, so it'd be a source of wickedness instead. If anything, The Fall section would pan out similarly as to how it already did. Only that either D lost his grip on Orion, or Orion's arm snapped off and fell in. Which seeing him losing his friend in perhaps just one moment where his anger did truly get the best of him in trying to destroy Sentinel, he realizes his mistake and spares the guy or something (With Orion perhaps wanting to keep him alive to do far worse)

[@Christian_H3rnand3z]

The designers for "One" revealed that the giant Quintesson ship is actually a giant living creature and if we look carefully, we could actually see a few of its eyes. I found out in a main Transformers website. They also reveal that Megatron actually cries in the end.

[@TransMascTrump]

That was a g1 reference, those "tears" aren't coming out of his eyes

[@ilyte1]

I thought those were viewports meant to add to the visual effect

[@fbiuzz]

The ship being a living creature is probably a callback to how the Quintessons love to experiment on tech-organic science.

[@ottol.c.1784]

Yeah, that makes sense. Their ship looks organic, like a crustacean.

[@Christian_H3rnand3z]

@ottol.c.1784 *That's what I always thought!!!*

[@wariowahwah580]

15:00 has me in a frenzy because I just realized in that scene D-16 is immediately asking Pax about why he got in the way but specifically does it in a way to blame Pax. I remember he says it like, “How could YOU,” “Why did YOU,” and nothing remotely questioning HIMSELF for firing in the first place. You cannot get D to think anything is his fault even when he’s literally blown off almost half of your body. I can’t believe I didn’t catch that at first even as I reflected on a lot of my selfishness after watching the movie for the first time. This video is so perfect. It’s so deep cutting it’s perfect.

[@ilyte1]

I did notice it in the theaters. And I can see how from his point of view, it was a pretty sudden jump. Still diabolical work to not at least pull your homie up before shooting Sentinel, and then getting pax some medical attention.

[@fbiuzz]

​@@ilyte1Yeah. That pretty much solidify me that D-16 is irredeemable. He didn't need to drop him down. It would have taken him like two seconds to just pull Orion up and go Kratos on Sentinel.

[@durrangodsgrief6503]

you actually see this in the movie d is always thinking of me even when Optimus brought him to see the race he thought he did it for him and not them as Optimus does

[@taddad2641]

in his mind it was the best course. it was to avenge himself but he also told him it was to avenge everyone. and in some fairness, there is a logic to it. could sentinel be left alive? perhaps orion coulda said that 'they'd let all of cybertron decide his fate'. maybe that would ahve balanced D out a little, make him focus on the the 'avenge everyone'. everyone was sentienl's victim, so everyone should get to choose his fate. maybe he'd have accepted it if mercy was chosen, though it seems likely hsi death would be called for. maybe it would have only delayed......

[@wariowahwah580]

@@durrangodsgrief6503 IT WAS THERE TOO!

[@sundancegaming6040]

The way that each leader rallies their respective factions also shows the difference in their personalities, D-16 threatens and beats the High Guard into aiding Him, while Orion talked with the miners with the commonality that he was also one of them.

[@johannlopez1097]

Another thing to point out is how they handled D-16 having Megatronus' T-Cog. People speculated that D-16 having Megatronus' cog is what drive him to be evil, instead the D-16 has it at the very end of his turn to evil, as if it is what completed his descent to darkness. I am so glad that's the case because if the cog is at the start of D's corruption arc, then it would have undermined pretty much everything about D-16 and his relationship with Orion, Megatronus Prime, and etc.

[@Elemento0420]

D-16 taking Megatronus' was done as a dark reflection of Orion's simultaneous event. D-16 took power to not feel weak and named himself Megatron as to be as mighty as his idol. Orion Pax was given power to be strong enough to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. He was given the name Optimus Prime for his own qualities and being his own Prime instead of mirroring one of the old ones.

[@mystery_box1172]

Only critique is that the scene where D16 was talking about the only bot he trusts, he was looking to Orion with a smile, likely meaning instead that he could only trust Orion, his best friend, which makes it even more sad. It adds to the tragedy, personally, and is part of my own headcanon.

[@emperorkumquat]

I don’t think he was going to say Orion, since he was pushing him away and threatening him around that time. He wasn’t kind to Orion at all since they learned the truth. And there is no smile I can see, looking back at that scene

[@buttercake-3215]

​@@emperorkumquat I can't see a smile aswell, however he does give a quick look at Orion, and I think they just intentionally left that up for interpretation, which honestly i really enjoy. If the writers wanted to make it clear he meant to say he only trusted himself at that point they'd probably would have had him be cut off a little bit later. As it is, "there's only one bot I know I can trust-" -Myself? - you? Probably we'll never know.

[@RACH90810]

​@@emperorkumquatwell orion introducing him to the world that he hadnt any skill about it without giving warning about that world while hopeful. It was Optimus prime biggest regret.

[@littlemisstfc]

I developed this interpretation the first time I watched the movie back in August: How long has Dee held in his rage and suffering? He believed in the system in order to cope with his lot in life. Once his worldview was broken, he acted upon these bottled up emotions in order to achieve the familiarity he knew. While his actions are inexcusable, they’re sadly inevitable. 😔 Also, if I see another person saying that Orion’s a bad friend/bad person for his actions and character arc, I will become the Joker.

[@ilyte1]

"You want to know how I got these scars? My leader was... a drinker and a fiend. And one day he goes off crazier than usual. I get the fusion cannon to defend myself. He doesn't like that. Not. One. Bit. So, with bee watching, he takes a Torch to me laughing while he does it. Turns to B and says, 'why so serious?"

[@anakinlowground5515]

Does Orion have flaws? Sure, but at the end of the day, he's still a pretty good person, who's just trying to do what he believes is best for his planet.

[@moonwhooper]

People are saying orion is a bad friend? What?

[@gnw_AstA]

@@moonwhooper He has flaws but somehow, some people misinterpret having flaws as being a bad person altogether. No one's perfect and we can sure as hell agree that Orion Pax was a decent bot who believed in the goodness of others. Hardly the bad friend that people accuse him as.

[@KRziin]

​@@moonwhooper some people villainized both elita and orion

[@Furydragonstormer]

Starscream felt less masochistic and more like he was giving D a case of wanting him to throw in everything. Kind of in the sense of asking your opponent to not hold back in a spar or similar, only more to the death here. I also personally love how angry Shockwave was in this, he just wasn't tolerating anyone's nonsense

[@ilyte1]

I thought he was trying to intimidate him. The old "pretend to be crazy" routine

[@milkiassamuel780]

Something I really hope they do with Starscream in a potential sequel is to have him become the Iago to Megatron's Othello. Make Starscream someone who sees a potential chance to gain power by manipulating the rage and fragile mental state of Megatron, where Starscream believes he can control Megatron's anger convincing him to do more brutal acts of tyranny but slowly realises how much of a twisted monster he's turned Megatron into becoming less rational, more unhinged and abusive, and eventually become just as delusional as Sentinel was as the war leads to the collapse and destruction of Cybertron. Thus Starscream realises how much of monster he's created by manipulating Megatron, and now he sees he has less of a chance to ever regain his control over the Decepticons

[@BitrateBilly]

@@ilyte1 thats exactly what it was, soundwave was the only one who really didnt have any objections and instantly cooperated, shockwave meanwhile tried to act all tough but instantly dropped it the second elita threatened to beat his ass

[@onedaxster]

I felt it was more lining up with his classic G1 personality. He's furious that someone wants to try and undermine him and so challenges and antagonizes D to prove to the High Guard that he's still the strongest out of all of them because he's taking all that punishment and still saying he can take more. Then the moment the cannon comes out, his survival instincts kick in and the coward begs for his life.

[@Legoformerguy]

Alternatively, D16: RRRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHHH (chokes starscream) Starscream: *harder daddy* Megatron: 👀 *terrified, lets go*

[@Byrdstar6423-un3me]

In my opinion D-16/Megatron is a great portrayal of the quote " power doesn't corrupt, it reveals" from the beginning Orion noticed so many red flags that not even I noticed on my first watch

[@DeltaTrion]

Feel you about the footage issue. My D-16 video is still In the trenches with Paramount. Love your work, would love to have you on my show Deltabase sometime to chat 💙

[@moonwhooper]

I love your videos

[@sladejoseph6757]

I think your analysis on d16 was better than his in all honesty

[@hetameme2697]

​@@sladejoseph6757 bruh

[@sage_in_palmmall5301]

the laugh he lets out right after shooting the genericon that was about to kill Orion always chills me. He's already delirious at that point.

[@mecha53107]

I heard a theory that the cogs Sentinel stole from the Miners were used to create the Vehicons.

[@Obsessive_Artist]

Wait that’s so smart?? You might be onto something here! I was confused about where he could have stored all those T-Cogs XD this makes so much sense though

[@chronomirageYT]

I love that, also explain why Optimus and bee feel ok killing them

[@abbycollins4820]

Ooooh that makes so much sense!!!!!

[@bradleyadams5252]

Or maybe he gave them to the Quinessons and they used them to make the Sharkticons and Allicons.

[@nicolaspajuelo]

I really liked how they developed D-16 into Megatron seeing how he became this evil menacing tyrant we all know today. D-16 liked Sentinel and looked up to him tho looked up to Megatronius prime then when he saw sentinels betrayal it broked him, slowly started becoming violent especially the way how he killed sentinel in front of everyone

[@taddad2641]

he at first wanted to kil him in a balance of vengeance and to ermove a dangerous individual. though a vengeance that was circling around his own personal hatred and what he did to cybertron. it would have been quick. but he blamed sentinel for orion's death too...... even though he shot orion, he WAS aiming for entinel the entire time. that is when his choice went from a swift blast to the head, to ripping him apart.

[@Ozeglion]

I saw a great video about this same subject that had an interesting take on why D-16 was so mad at Orion specifically They suggested that, after finding out about Sentinel’s deception, D became tired Orion’s habit of getting him into trouble against his will with his ”master plans” because, in a way, he suffered due to both Sentinel’s and Orion’s leaderships, which he later uses as justification to never trust another leader again, because the very concept had only brought him suffering. He then starts to trust only himself, viewing anyone trying to tell him what to do as someone trying to take away his autonomy, the way Sentinel did. By the end of the film, he comes to view Orion this way as well, him having just attempted to ”control him” by getting in his way when trying to kill Sentinel and getting himself into trouble AGAIN, which D-16 would have to take responsibility for AGAIN. It’s also why he lets him fall into the well. He’s done saving Orion from his own blunder, done letting him control him. Of course, what D-16 fails to realize is that the difference between Orion and Sentinel is that Orion was trying to help him to see that he’s worth more than he thinks he is, whereas Sentinel is just power hungry. It’s the reason D is wrong. Either way, his view on Orion, now Optimus, is cemented because as he is now a Prime, in Megatron’s eyes, he’s now just another leader, another tyrant, another deceiver, come to take the place of the last one he’d just strived so hard to destroy. That’s all he sees when he looks at Optimus. ”This isn’t over, *Prime*.” 9:45 Also, sidenote, I think it’s intentionally left ambiguous/up to interpretation here whether D was going to say himself or Orion, but maybe that’s just me

[@TheEldritchDarling]

As @sarcastic chorus said in his Arcane review: Optimus/Orion was looking to saved what he loved while Megatron/D-16 was only looking to destroy what he hated. Also, Megatron claims that the Deceptions are meant to prevent Deception, while the only one being deceived is him by himself.

[@Logan-j1d9e]

that deception part is so good, works really well. NGL, I would love to see a take on a Megatron that rises up, only to become a tyrant, then realizes he's been lying not only to others, but to HIMSELF as well.

[@moonwhooper]

​@@Logan-j1d9eread idw

[@Logan-j1d9e]

@@moonwhooper oh yeah, I forgot about that part in the run. Maybe that’s where I got my love for the idea

[@marinanieto7670]

14:51 omg the denial point is literally so accurate you literally nailed it

[@dragoonprime9829]

As someone who had their foundations and faith broken megatrons "fast decent" is very realistic and understandable. Its a sudden spiral that's hard to get out of.

[@bradleyadams5252]

What or who did you lose faith in?

[@dragoonprime9829]

@@bradleyadams5252 god (christian) and people close to me

[@bradleyadams5252]

@@dragoonprime9829 Well, don't assume that God is against you because of the actions of the church. Revelation has Jesus basically chewing out like 6 of the first churches, so not all churches have his approval.

[@cirnotheicefairy3609]

@@bradleyadams5252 on the other hand though, what faith should he hold onto when God seems apathetic to his plights, when he sees suffering all across the globe and nothing is done about it? It's a very human conundrum to face against. Why should I praise a deity that would throw me down unto Hell for the sheer fact that I do not worship him and outright despise his actions?

[@bradleyadams5252]

@@cirnotheicefairy3609 The Bible never promises that God will give us a suffering-free life on this Earth. His goal isn't to make life easy for us, it's to lead us to his son's gift. God allows suffering to remind us that this world isn't our home, to give us a chance to show grace towards those in suffering and in the case of suffering people inflict on each other directly (violence and the like) to show us the physical consequences of sin. It sucks, but this will pass. As for the apathetic accusation, Jesus died in the most painful, humiliating way possible to redeem us. An apathetic God would never do something like that.

[@Anton-de5vu]

Honestly the only part about megs’ turn to the dark side was the “I. Got. It.” Part, it seemed just a bit too aggressive for that point in the story, even if he just toned it down by 50%, it would show that he’s becoming more confrontational without being outright aggressive or menacing to his own best friend

[@melodymanic1007]

I really enjoyed D-16 turning to Megatron, because for me, it hit me on a personal level. I used to be all happy as a kid, but I grew up to resent the system I live in because I couldn't keep up. I wouldn't go out of my way to hurt or kill anyone, but you bet I'd protest if my identity was threatened.

[@blu_j_1977]

@melodymanic1007 I felt the same at my first viewing. imo there’s no need to fan the flames, they’re high enough already

[@RemixOfTheVoid]

There's a lot of bs in this world. I used to be happier, too. Most times, I still am even if I don't express it that well, but I never stay that way because I get reminded of all the horrors of this world that I unfortunately can't stop. If I could, though, I would be like Optimus. Like, I wish people in the pride community didn't have to worry about being judged or persecuted for being the way that they are. I'm not in the pride community, but I do support them, and I wish nothing but the best for them. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, after all. But I could never be like Megatron. Killing those who oppose you, no matter how justified you may feel it is, isn't always the right way to go about it. Now, I do believe 100% that some people just have to go, but not everyone. There are ways to punish someone without killing them, and so, I side with Optimus. Always.

[@dedrox3d491]

But do you think you have become more self centered?

[@abshol1316]

One thing I absolutely loved about this movie is the parallels between Orion and D16, where one does the exact opposite of the other in their rise to leadership D16 will beat starscream into submission while Orion will gently uplift the miners D16's rebirth as Megatron is done figuratively and in the death of another (which was a false prime) Orion's rebirth is him litteraly dying and being at a sort of peace before gaining the matrix of leadership which gives birth to a new and real prime

[@GinraiMinor]

Orion falling into that party/celebration and grabbing the Energon Goodies and munching them as he continued to evade Darkwing was *chef's kiss* more of that fun side of Optimus we never get to see!

[@GinraiMinor]

also what becomes of Onyx Primes T-Cog since obvi D-16/Megs swapped out...I'd hate to think a Primes T-Cog as trivial(why else did Sentinel take Megatronus's etc. etc.)

[@SakiRyyy]

In my own words, I honestly think that D-16 had the most craziest character development in all of the backstories he had.

[@Ryder-a-Blaze]

“Don’t be like Sentinel” Megs: and I took that personally

[@rainbowracer9576]

As soon as this video uploads I quickly stop what I was doing to see your phenomenal analysis.

[@L1ama.Tr0n]

Honestly if they made a show based on this concept i would 100% watch it and probably love it. I hope it atleast gets the trilogy that it deserves at this point. Also to me, Personally, it feels like its own sort of continuity with how it has changed some things and how it takes inspiration from so many other continuities…and im here for it

[@Logan-j1d9e]

Yeah, I really feel like this finally gets revolutionary to tyrant Megatron. It kind of solves the awkward transition and can make for some really good character work for him. NEED this to be a standard if we're going to have this Megatron archetype in the future.

[@L1ama.Tr0n]

@@Logan-j1d9e 100% THIS is the megatron i think we all want from this point forward, and also the orion i kind of want because uh…like the vidoe said its just A LITTLE weird they made him in a more higher position then megatron in some of their origins…

[@camoking3609]

​@LazyLlamaaonacouch, i mean I kinda understand why they did it, to put Orion's peaceful background and D's violence into perspective, but this method is just superior to put them together in the same spot, and show how great heroism and great evil can come together in the same origin

[@L1ama.Tr0n]

@@camoking3609 oh definetly, Which is why Tfone is definetly one of my favorite origin stories so far tbh.

[@RemixOfTheVoid]

I didn't even think about that. Sentinel literally just...gave up. He pretty much surrendered, as there was no point with the truth out. Damn, now I side even less with Megs than I already did.

[@TheKingOfSnakes5302]

He was justified in killing sentinel, not dropping Orion

[@akam9919]

Mmmm... was Orion justified in jumping in front to protect Sentinel? Is it right that he puts his view of justice over Megatron's? Is it right for Megatron to be forced to maintain any care for a guy that would protect the guy that had been oppressing them both? From D-16's perspective, he had more than done enough to assert his boundaries for what he considered acceptable. Orion had crossed him multiple times, but he had been gracious enough to let it slide. But in the end, Orion, as far as D-16 was concerned, had decided to defend the system that had oppressed both of them. Is he really "wrong" for dropping for dropping what he considered yet another defender of Sentinel?

[@Thecatbehindtheslaughtering]

@@akam9919 Orion never said "we gotta spare sentinel" he just said "don't rip him in half in a vigilante execution"

[@nont18411]

@@akam9919 Is he really wrong? Yes because Orion wasn’t defending Sentinel. He just (naively) wanted Sentinel to be put on trial. And to be even more wrong, when Orion returned as Optimus, he even told Megatron that they could build the future together and what did Megatron do? Attacking Optimus like an unhinged lunatic. The only reason Megatron survives because Optimus held back A LOT and even then Megatron still created his own Decepticons not to defend Cybertron against the Quintessons that enslaved them in the first place, but specifically to fight Optimus for vengeance’s sake.

[@baisakhimukherjee7524]

​@@nont18411he attacked for 2 things mostly one he was super jealous primus gave orion the matrix who was not willing to acknowledge the true punishment needed for sentinel and second megatron was so obsessed with great leaders that he was heart broken to see that sentinel I evil like how he said robots worship sentinel so optimus being the naturally the new leader was too much for him to handle though u can also say it came from wanting power

[@OttoMatson]

​@@baisakhimukherjee7524 How I see it, there's a better punishment for Sentinel: Remove his cog and thrusters. This means he can't configure his body, use his weapons, fly away, or become anything more than he deserves to be.

[@JaguarCats]

Orion and D16's relationship was like a ticking time bomb of tragedy. You knew it was gonna go off, right from the beginning. You just didn't know how. And the writer's handled it beautifully. That last scene of showing how the bots met and became fast friends is just tear jerking.

[@Daniel-The-Researcher]

You bring up many good points about D-16’s flaws, specially when you talk about how he lost everything because of his wrong idolization toward Sentinel. However, I do think that Orion affected him indirectly, and I would like to explain why I think this. From the beginning of the movie, we see that Orion’s recklessness often gets D-16 into trouble, like when he received Darkwing’s punch in order to defend Orion, or when Orion tricks him to participate in the Iacon 5000. We see that Orion drags D-16 to situations where he is affected; I’m not saying Orion is wrong for wanting to be more than just a miner along with his best friend, but I can understand D-16’s frustration. Now talking about the cave scene, you are right, D-16 starts blaming Orion, wrongly so, for showing him a truth he didn’t want to know about because of its implications. However, is the next dialogue that convinces me that D-16 was just letting out the frustration he kept to himself for quite some time: D: “Well that’s the whole thing, you don’t care about anything else, just yourself! Fantastic, another Orion Pax masterplan, I can’t wait to hear this…” O: “Wait don’t you want to stop him?” D: “No I want to kill him!” And then: D: “But we all know it doesn’t matter what I want right Pax?” That’s why those comments seem so disconnected from their situation at the time, because they are, he was struggling to process Sentinel’s betrayal while at the same time losing his patience and expressing these feelings to Orion. And that’s the other thing, he was already feeling ignored and diminished, Sentinel’s betrayal is like the last straw in this situation. That’s why we see him with this mentality of: “Get out of my way” later on, he is tired of being pushed around by those around him. Therefore, I would consider that to be the starting point of him being self-centered. And as a result, Orion reacts so confused to seeing his best friend, a calm, well intended and innocent bot, acting so aggressively. As for the climax, you are right when you say that D-16 was going to kill Sentinel because he wanted, it wasn’t about justice, or self defense, it was about revenge. In regards to what he did to Orion, yes, he refuses to take responsibility for shooting Pax, but in D-16’s eyes, this was Pax deciding for him and affecting him all over again, so this wasn’t D-16 suddenly forgetting of everything he went through with Pax, but rather remembering all the times he affected him. In conclusion, I’m not saying that Orion is solely responsible for his friend’s downfall, or that D-16 did nothing wrong. I just wanted to make an addition to the conversation, analyzing D-16’s point of view. In the end, both of them took decisions, made mistakes, and took different paths, a sad fate for them.

[@gabrielchin1107]

Yes! Precisely this! People keep forgetting the effect that Orion had on D-16 and try to pin everything that he did on himself, which is odd because he's not an island. His relationships and interactions with others would have impacted him and shaped his worldview. Being an introvert, D-16 might not have been the best at conveying his feelings to others hence why Orion might have been genuinely confused when he snapped.

[@Daniel-The-Researcher]

@ Agreed. And it’s clear that by the end of the movie, Optimus still doesn’t understand completely why D-16 abandoned him, given that he never got the whole picture about D-16’s feelings, if he did, he definitely would have apologized and tried to help his friend in a better way. It would an interesting topic to explore in a sequel.

[@MarblesEye]

I agree aswell, Orion, being young and impulsive, I felt did try to manipulate D or keep in the dark or coerce him into going with him on his instinctual adventures so he's not completely innocent in all this, but like that, some friendships are like ' the rocks in one head fits the holes in the other', I think it was just immature but well intentioned on Orion's part. He wanted his friend to see his own potential because he truly cared for him, but knew that D was emotionally immature enough at the time to be easily coerced. But even if it is immature decision making, they are of that age to explore making mistakes like that,and as annoying as it was for D, I don't think it would have come to a head the way it did had they not have found out the devastating truth in the way that they did, nobody could have predicted it, it just gave way to dramatic consequences given the awful circumstances. Otherwise there may have been just a regular argument, fight, fall out, maybe rekindling and learning from it perhaps eventually. Plus, after the capturing at the High Guard base, Orion does take responsibility for his actions and reviews his decision making. It's only for Elita yes acknowledging his impulsiveness but setting him straight bout is attitude does it reinspire him to continue. Like in your video, for D it's like he's self entitled now and bears no responsibility towards anyone not wanting to indignantly destroy Sentinal.

[@nont18411]

⁠​⁠@@Daniel-The-Researcher “Optimus still doesn’t understand completely why D-16 abandoned him” I mean, Optimus (or any rational person) won’t try to forgive, let alone understand a guy who shot his arm off, dropped him to die then try to kill him again like a psychopath once he returned. Optimus was SUPER generous for just banishing Megatron, not killing him. If you think that Megatron is justified to be resentful of Optimus for so much less, then Optimus is also (much more) justified to be bitter and “not understanding” Megatron’s feelings for this.

[@Daniel-The-Researcher]

@ I said “understand” in the sense that Optimus is missing story bits about Megatron’s point of view. Like when they were talking in the cave, or the whole chunk of inflicted torture that Orion missed. By the end, Optimus still doesn’t have the whole context of why his best friend changed so radically, given that, understandably, he didn’t got the time or the chance to analyze Megatron’s perspective. That being said, this doesn’t mean that Optimus should have overlooked what Megatron did. As you rightly pointed out, Optimus was very generous with Megatron after he committed an act of terrorism.

[@jacawesomeness9950]

So one thing I saw on my first watch is that his eyes are constantly changing after he sees Megatronus dead. The last time they are pure yellow is when he grabs Orion's hand before they change slowly to red then full red. They are always changing different hues and such

[@TMF979Resurge]

I've always viewed, at least in certain incarnations, that the hue and color of optics reflects The mental state and therefore alignment of a Cybertronian

[@Tfpforever]

I’m absolutely loving your tf one videos! You’re really shedding a lot of pretty interesting perspectives on the movie. I absolutely loved Meg’s fall and your video really put into words what I loved about him. Especially the fact that he and pax came from the same beginning, it really makes them two sides of the same coin

[@Fe_Saibot]

Yippe, new emperor kumquat video

[@shadowblossom2210]

YIPPIE

[@there4you19]

That Black Gun that you Mentioned is Called a Fusion Cannon. It's been Megatrons Signature Weapon since the Beginning of the Transformers Franchise. Actually Orion and Elita are the Ones who Rallies the Troops B-127 Was already kidnapped by Sentinel along with D-16.

[@jhay3966]

I like how they sorta implied that D-16 would have been a soldier or a military officer if his choices weren't robbed. He turns into a tank, he's larger than most of the other miner bots, he loves authority, and idolizes strength; he is pretty much a good template for a soldier or officer.

[@lillay304]

people: why was starscream beaten so easily? other people: he liked it 😏 Other other people: 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♂️

[@originalcharacter2470]

It's kind of obvious that D-16 has anger issues. "What if I kill you for waking me up?" "I'll smelt your face off."" "Are you crazy? I'll kill you!", also punching Orion for angering Darkwing. So to be honest it's not like there's lack of forshadowing for his mind becoming completely clouded by anger. Actually an interesting note that somebody else made about D-16 is that if he had gotten too long to process his emotions then he actually might have become more rational and not have turned out the way he did, so his arc going fast makes sense from that perspective. BTW. I also think it's very likely, considering Megatron's behaviour in other medias, that Megatron never really stopped his love of rules and his love of authority, he just came to believe he's the only person he can trust, this would provide a believable motivation for the domineering behaviour that Megatron is known for in other medias.

[@razorswordninja12]

20:00 I kinda see the scene of the two running away as a slight reference to Samauri Jack in how his fighting prowess was enough to make drones lacking emotions FEEL fear in them stepping a step back from Jack. Seems fitting for the small bot with a big spark. Plus War for Cybertron Bee was voiced by the same voice actor as Nero from Devil May Cry so there's that. Stretch on the last part yes but the movie did refence Go Bots as insult and The Touch as well.

[@AutobotSonicTheTelltaleGamer]

Absolutely LOVED this lil video essay! You shared pretty much every single idea and thought I had about D-16/Megs, and articulated it so well! Starscream too was a joy. Not only for personal reasons (Come on, masochist Starscream IS both hilarious and hot at the same time. 😂), but he's just such an interesting take on the character. He's up there with IDW, Skybound, TFP and EarthSpark as my favorite version of him! I'd love to see you do more TFOne videos in the future, especially on Elita or Sentinel! Keep up the great work!

[@bowserbreaker2515]

How ironic, D-16 hates Starscream, but the High Guard all love him for becoming the embodiment of their philosophy. "All that counts is the strength of one bot over another."

[@BluDestron]

I frickin' LOVE your analyses and was excited to see someone give D-16 the deep dive he deserved (I too can casually say kink-adjacent words with a straight face lol). The Megatron arc in this movie was presented in one of the most intriguing ways we've gotten IMO, and you perfectly encapsulated how his flaws ended up consuming him. Also, I just have to believe the Vehicons are some kind of AI drone or something, or else their existence in this movie deserves a deep dive of its own.

[@wolfleader17]

Personally, I still prefer the aligned continuity's take on Optimus and Megatron's pre-war relationship. It left lots of room for nuance and additional characters, while giving a sound background for both their future leadership roles, and their friendship. One did a pretty good job of painting Megatron's fall as you pointed out, but the friendship aspect didn't seem fully developed before it was quickly eroded. Maybe that problem could have been solved if it had a longer runtime. Visually though, blown away at every angle. The artists did such a phenomenal job, color, lighting, reflections, contrast, animation, camera movement, all perfect.

[@zephon6745]

The only time Optimus Prime doesn't end a movie with a speech is when Rodimus Prime gives a short speech at the end.

[@TerribleJhoe]

This is such a good analysis man. Amazing work!

[@VoidSoul_Draigon]

I'm pretty sure it's not an evil thing just being overwhelmed and feeling nothing but pure rage is what turns their eyes red, I've heard that people "see red" when they've become completely and purely enraged so maybe they were goin for that aspect

[@Agent7Studios]

They did Megatron justice in this film, who else agrees?

[@L1ama.Tr0n]

@@Agent7Studios i do 100%, we need more of this megatron, honestly i hope this movie starts a nice trend for more transfromers media about the origin story for optimus and megatron because it has its flaws but it still is probably one of the best origin stories weve gotten out of it.

[@toom4ny0cs]

This was by far- absolute cinema. This was amazing and I love it very much. I love this so very much. Honestly.. love it very much. Absolutely.. just.. I NEED MORE!

[@fbiuzz]

One thing I noticed is that Megatron never takes responsibility for his participation in Orion's plan. Yes, while D-16 gets caught up in his schemes, he never seriously rebukes him and always join up with it when it immediately benefits him (such as the plan to go to the Surface when he even lampshades he knows Orion is tempting him with the possibility of impressing Sentinel but says it's working). Similarly while he might yell at Orion about his plan to join the Iacon race, he immediately gets in on the action once he realized they had an actual chance of winning. It's a subtle selfishness that contrast to Orion's reckless plans that are ultimately altruistic and well-meaning.

[@thegodzillafandomsrookie5514]

That's called convincing someone

[@briandavion]

they referance the T-cog giving people the power to choose, so I saw the forms they took as reflections of their personalities. Consider, a truck's purpose it to help pull others along, sure sounds like the Orion Pax from this movie

[@LastGoatKnight]

I have a theory/hot take on the story. So, under Sentinel Prime's leadership it was common to remove the T-Cogs at birth but over time they wanted to even strip new Cybertronians from their names and instead they just get a serial code so when they die in the mines during an accident they'll be just statistic and thus dehumanising Cogless Cybertronians more. Where's my evidence? D-16 calls Orion at the start of the movie as "rusty" that later on Orion corrects that he's just worn, not rusty which is obvious refenece to their age. And only D-16 and "BADASSATRONNNNNNN" B-127 has serial code as real name and both behave somewhat more childish than other, named bots. It's also logical from Sentinel, after all, only a select few had their T-Cogs and it is earned or you had that before Sentinel's leadership. If you want a workforce that you don't care about and other bots are racist towards, if you dehumanize them then you can do whatever you want with them which means more Energon mined and though more deaths, no one really cared for Cogless bots. Maybe I jump around on topics but I think it's understandable enough to get my point through. In summary, if Sentinel had 50 more cycles, I reckon there would be far fewer Cogless bots that has a name that works in the mines, etc., maybe even none and only higher positions are filled by the older bots with T-Cogs

[@a.e_man78789]

What really hurts here is that how D-16 becoming Megatron was something Orion tried but ultimately cannot prevent in the end. The scenes where D-16 indulges in his newfound abilities and gaining validation of his strength to the high guards, all while Orion watches in horror as to what his bestfriend is slowly becoming into is heartwrenching. It showed how even with the right people beside you trying to help you not become your worst self won't be enough. You can still fail if you take the wrong choice of actions. 😢

[@DjPrimeVideos]

D-16 went through the stages of grief but got stuck on anger

[@LadyMajolish]

Free my boy Megatron, he did nothing wrong (Sike)

[@mecha53107]

He could've Jazz'd anyone else! Sentinel Prime deserves worse

[@VoidSoul_Draigon]

​@@mecha53107Ain't that an understatement, Sentinel deserves human Hell but Cybertronian type if that makes sense and beyond

[@rednessgod5729]

Megatron wasn’t a villain. He just refused to be a victim.

[@VoidSoul_Draigon]

@rednessgod5729 Well betraying his only friend by dropping him after accidentally shooting him kinda makes him a villain but I guess that's just me

[@marinanieto7670]

REAL(say sike rn)

[@thelittleal1212]

My one thing that kinda bothered me with D16 is, tho I like his development. I would like to have some establishment with his gruesome Brutality when he killed sentinel. I know words are something, but I would have liked to see more than that. I mean, Tf prime did that with him being a gladiator and having a very horrible life. But that’s my only nitpick with his character

[@pepita2437]

D-16 was given power when he was the most angry, hurt. Not a lots of us would have done better I think.

[@jonathanrios8316]

What a great essay. This movie was pure cinema. What movies should be. Good writing, great acting, amazing choreography and fight scenes (for an action movie) outstanding character arcs and moments and having one of the most powerful scenes i have ever seen all my years in cinemas. You did it justice speaking on the wonderfuly tragic arc of D-16/Megatron. Please support this movie by watching it on stream and purchasing it!! It deserves it, transformers deserves, the creators of the film deserve it and YOU deserve it

[@superxavxii421]

12:53 i loved this scene as well. In theaters it was so awesome seeing Orion give a heartfelt but inspirational speech to his friends. Jazz looked starstruck lol

[@syabilaazri7834]

The moment he give that speech, i was like "now that is everybody fav robot truck dad that me and every 80's kid grew up with..."

[@vibespidersstudios8895]

I’ve noticed another detail the third time watching that their irises before cogged and cogless. D-16’s last iris line moves more sporadically than the other characters. It moves even more when he got his cog. For optimus, it was all blue irises lines until he became cogged. Where there is a green line. It was moving less as he became optimus. So I’m guessing the faster the irises spins the level of how stressed out they are.

[@reallynotsogoldenisopod]

I love how D-16's adoration of Megatronus hints at his future might makes right mentality that he'll adopt from the High Guard. He gives no other reason other than him being the "strongest, greatest Prime who ever lived" instead of understanding what Megatronus actually stood for.

[@ESK0VER0_x]

I genuinely thought he could've said "the only bot I can trust is you Pax"

[@A_Shrubbery1901]

how could you do this... you made all the jokes i wad going to comment in the video itself. now i don't have anything funny to say, i will never emotionally recover from this.

[@sarpyasar5893]

At 17.52 my theory for that is simple the T cogs they got from the primes also gives them a sort of combat training just like the matrix but to lesser extent.

[@Joseph-pz7vt]

I absolutely loved this movie when I saw it. The visuals are epic, the story telling was crisp, character designs were creative and great etc. More importantly I absolutely loved Megatrons character ark. One interesting thought I had was that what was the original alt mode of Megatron before his cog was stripped. I want to believe that it was also a tank to symbolize his true nature of being innately violent and destructive but then again who knows. Then again he had 2 different upgrades and both were tanks so it might be true. For those who might have doubts about watching the film, please go and watch it and support these people so we can have a great sequel!

[@sanarea6489]

Such an amazing video! I have only seen the movie once so far and you helped me realize some finer details which I missed. They really elevate the movie and make me appreciate it even more. Thanks for that❤

[@WorthlessDeadEnd]

This was so well done and thought out. Thank you for your eloquint input.

[@dmruggabugga6270]

I loved how his eyes started yellow became orange at the mid point then red when he fully became megatron

[@drvinylscratch1936]

As for the high guard I think they are just tired and done with the shit. That's why they get beaten, star scream especially. Screamer didn't look happy he looked bored, and tired till he got hit.

[@humblemarty]

I really like D-16 and Orion Pax because they both got hit with the same news but how they handled it is what kicked off their character arcs.

[@zegop5736]

I love how this recontextualize the “peace through tyranny” quote on the back of the g1 box megatron can only be at peace of mind if he’s the sole ruler thus no one can betray/lie to him like sentinel did

[@PaleoAnalysis]

The only thing I really wish they had not left out is the idea of D-16 being a gladeator. I feel like that would have been a great way to showcase his rage and show some more of the qualities that would lead to him becoming Megatron. Also it would give a little more to go on with him being naturally more powerful than most of the other miners. But I did love the movie all the same.

[@mart_8503]

Fear leads to anger Anger leads to hate Hate leads suffering

[@vee-bee-a]

I'm more sympathetic to this variant of D-16/Megatron more than any other 'bot... But then again, there's B-127, if we take away all the humor...

[@DatMentalGamer]

the eye head canon with me is that he's unsure about his own motivations. he does not know whether he wants to be good or not. his eyes indicate conflict (yellow. a warning)

[@tiongkiong]

9:42 D-16 didn't say the only bot he can trust is himself. He said "The only one bot I know I... (hit by highguard and cut off)". Most likely the complete sentence is "the only bot I know I can trust is you" He still trust Pax that moment but faded along the story progress. If High guard didn't capture them, the outcome might be very different.

[@burnttoast.2017]

My only criticism with this movie was that D-16's spiral is believable until everyone else decides that Sentinel is definitely no longer a threat (even though he was) and then post killing Sentinel D-16 decides to lead directly into focusing on civilian miners to warcrime. It's absolutely ridiculous for Pax to try and stop D-16 from killing Sentinel to the point he runs in front of him and gets shot instead. What should have happened was having other transformers that could transform: the higher class become the subjects of D-16's rage considering there's a possibility they knew the same way Airachnid did, as it stands right now there's no excuse for Megatron's fall post Sentinel's death outside of "Time to be Evil and not use the character flaws I've been established to have!" Also, as for the Starscream thing, I don't think he enjoys pain. He was just... Suicidal.

[@ilyte1]

The continued fall was spiraling. I've seen people spiral in real life, and it's not the most logical thing, but it does happen because emotions don't go away on a dime

[@Logan-j1d9e]

Orion stopped him for D's sake, but even then there can be like 10 other reasons why Sentinel Prime could still be kept alive. Like to name a few: Quintesson info, symbolic victory, shaming Sentinel, symbolizing a new era, being the bigger bot, etc. Orion saw his friend slowly give in to concerning behavior and this event was very much critical. His attack on the city after killing SP is part of the fallout of his rebirth as Megatron. D-16, while flawed, had reason because of his beliefs and feelings of safety in the system. When all of that is torn away, he spirals in a sort of craze that his environment only supports and affirms that helping him calm down. The first thing he does is shoot down the statue of Sentinel because of the image he brings, but fails to notice the danger it brings to the people there. I can't really agree that he was targeting miners because they were there to attack Sentinel's guard fleet, then were closest to Megatron's execution of SP. The cogged bots of Iacon most likely fled first. As for his targeting of the higher class, it has one problem in the character of D-16; in that he does hate the power holding him down, but because he sees it only as POWER holding HIM down. He sees this as a personal affront more than seeing the other bots who've suffered under him, and sees the source of it as SP using his power to assert his control. D's view of hierarchy is affected by his favoritism of Megatronus, his past admiration of SP's "using his power" to help Cybertron, and the High Guard reinforcing D into believing power is the only way to rule (not to mention the High Guard was, well, high in society before the 13 were killed). D is a lower class bot, but class isn't something he recognizes as much as he recognizes power, force, and violence as Megatron. I understand that it isn't completely smooth storywise, but I don't think it ignores his established flaws. As a side note, Starscream was likely goading D to test him. It was likely that he was looking for a new leader, as the High Guard was in the shadows and not being successful. He even gets scared when D points his cannon at him, and tries to hide during Airachnid's raid.

[@a.z.pantera5577]

What's really interesting about D-16 projecting and not taking responsibility is that Sentinel, the one who draws his ire, owns up to everything. Proudly so. But once the jig was up, Sentinel lost the will to fight, and very likely would've just let himself get arrested. Even tried to beg for his life, and show he wasn't a threat anymore. Figure that: the worst person you know is better at owning and taking responsibility than you.

[@JustPlay310]

Easily the best origin story in fiction. This movie surprised me, its very good.

[@WickedSauce_73]

4:33 he looks so happy :D

[@sladejoseph6757]

d16 didnt say he only trust is himself he was about to say he only bot he could trust is orion but he was interrupted by the high guards when they captured four of them, andwhen orion said "im thinking what we are going to do" d16 has always been on orion back whenever he gets into trouble, he always got his back whenever orion gets into trouble but what your not understanding is that orion completely ignores the people effecting his consequences onto, d16 has to endure orions punishments always has his back but whenever he wants something simple like watching the iacon 5000 orion was like "you know what im gonna have you see a good view of the race and while that is happening you and me well be racing it without your proper consent"

[@emperorkumquat]

I don’t think he was going to say he trusts Orion Pax. He threatens him and abandons him the whole movie after and marches to his own tune

[@jontaehall2740]

​@@emperorkumquatOrion constantly got D-16 and himself in trouble. Which D-16 while complaining, still lets it slide. He never threatened Orion, him saying " I got it" in a more stern tone was because of how nervous Orion was with D-16 holding the proof. D-16 finally snapping was because of Orion. Because he did not expect his best friend of all people to betray him in a sense. Imagine your best friend keeps putting your livelyhood and live in jeopardy for his little schemes. You would get to the point that enough is enough too.

[@DatOneCat]

I have the same reaction with this movie. I came into this thinking it was probably going to be kiddy, but came out of it loving the entire thing. It had its dark moments along with humorous ones. It absolutely hurt the first time watching this and seeing how the friendship that D-16 and Orion had degraded slowly over the course of the movie. Even after re-watching it 5 times (something I can't say I've done with a lot of the Bayverse movies), the pain is still felt seeing that end fight scene between, now, Megatron and Optimus Prime take place. With a battered and bruised Megatron with visible tear streaks down his face having a moment of clarity realizing what he had caused between them. Such a good movie, and my personal favorite from this year currently.

[@LegiyonEhellout]

11:46 WHY DID YOU PHRASE IT THAT WAY 😭

[@ohw5306]

❤❤❤❤❤ Love Yr analysis on why n how Orian supports D16's interests n hobbies to give him individuality

[@A.Weirdo.I.Guess000]

"ORION PAX, WAKE UP AND GET YOUR APPLE LOGO'ED BODY REPAIRED!! EMPEROR KUMQUAT HAVE RELEASED ANOTHER TF ANALYSIS VIDEO ABOUT YOUR BROTHER!!"

[@MogusMasterSaikawa22]

it's so amazing to have a good version of megatron in a movie finally. my favorite transformers villain in the movies has been michael bay starscream since I was a kid but I still have nostalgia for the gen 1 characters and seeing the g1 type design in the scene where he declares he's megatron touched my heart and I loved his development. I did question some of it my first watch but I totally got it all the second time

[@blu_j_1977]

The death of Sentinel Prime was necessary, but it’s better to bounce back from a rough history than start with nothing again like authoritarian regimes

[@historicflame972]

The Trackers as a Vehicon-esque sentience debate, welcome back Steve

[@longshot9757]

Zenolks Xerul's _What Could Have Been_ AMV of this movie is downright haunting, and reflects this essay well. Highly recommend.

[@vanndymaywho1910]

One little nitpick, Bee wasn’t with Orion in recruiting the miners. He was with D-16 the whole time after they were captured by Airachnid until Elita, Shockwave and Soundwave rammed a train into a governmental building. But this is just me being a stickler for details… cause they are important.

[@emperorkumquat]

Sorry about that, I grouped them when intending to talk about all the actions leading to the showing the world the video clips

[@vanndymaywho1910]

@@emperorkumquat is fine, I’m just a details sticker with my nerd glasses

[@proxy_mushikrieger9741]

I don't think eyes really matter that much in Transformers as there are a couple of Autobots with red eyes, such as Fort Max. I think it's a stylistic choice to some, though this doesn't explain Megs eyes graduating from yellow to red, though I guess I could just say that warm hue eyes were more primitive, cheaper, and prone to change from inner turmoil and stress, perhaps more suited for combat, hence why the Cybertronian guard have red eyes. One of my minor issues with TF One is that it didn't bother, or perhaps strayed away from exploring the Functionism narrative...

[@TMF979Resurge]

Blame that on Hasbro having zero faith in a longevity project layered with more nuance and more slow burn, out of this false consensus that people have no attention span or interest beyond Fast-Paced non-stop action

[@ilyte1]

Honestly sentinel using ai soldiers makes a lot of sense, given that he's trying to keep a secret. And there's no way that ai soldiers are just going to let it slip at a bar after work

[@bgt2848]

Personally, while it was a little self-centered, I Believe it was more guilt. D upheld and champions, the system more than anybody. And when he saw that system was corrupted and rigged, I think he felt personal responsibility. When they got their cogs, they became more complete. “mature“ I think his violent retaliation against everything was because he felt so much responsibility for having championed the thing that was enslaving them.

[@extreme250-i3q]

100% agreed.

[@JA-js8uk]

On the topic of yellow eyed bots, when Orion is giving a speech to the miners, there is a yellow eyed bot standing behind Ironhide who suspiciously looks like Barricade, but that’s the only example I’ve seen in the many times I watched this movie

[@Logan-j1d9e]

Yes, yes, YES! I'm really happy someone is here to put this side of the story into the conversation. It feels a bit annoying that D-16/Megatron gets a lot of blind support without any criticism of his faults. Now I'll be honest, I don't really think he's a bad bot at the start, but the way it's been talked about online feels like people are talking about a completely different continuity entirely. It just seems like a misrepresentation of the "Magneto Problem." (character/group who wants to rise against oppression, then portrayed as evil for reasons the audience may find questionable) Orion, Elita, and B are also miners, who've been through the same BS as D, who've worked tirelessly as D, and have had dreams like him. We can't say that he's the only one who's life is completely changed after the truth. And it is understandable for him to be angry, but it's not fair to judge the others for taking a different path to stop Sentinel. It can't even really be argued that Megatron is fighting for freedom, as his ideology is centered around power and conformity, more than the freedom of Cybertronians. Orion embodies someone who truly is trying to help others, but he's seen as a passive and conforming leader because he isn't as aggressive in the way he goes about it. It makes sense of other continuities, but here it really doesn't. I understand that Megatron has had reasonable motives in past series for fighting against society, but it becomes a problem because he has to be a tyrant controlling a faction with MANY evil and terrible people in it. Megatron wasn't always a revolutionary, he was just evil in the first show, and that leads to him being evil in most series. However, in making him sympathetic in his backstory, becoming the oppressive tyrant makes him look hypocritical. And THAT'S the part so many takes on him get wrong, in my opinion. The story wants to add another aspect to his character, but it doesn't add enough to make it all work. This is one of the few takes on the buckethead that actually feels natural, and it's seen as yet another "Oh, the writers want to see the passive and nonviolent faction as good!!!" NOOO!!!!!! TF:One Optimus is someone who thinks beyond himself and risks everything to help others, while Megatron is self-centered and sees authority/power as the rules to follow. Optimus returns energon to Cybertron and the T Cogs to the miners, Megatron runs away with his High Guard and forms an enemy faction from spite. Maybe this is intense as only one aspect of the movie, but I feel this is massively important.