The Transformers recently returned to cinemas in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which sees the Autobots team up with animal-inspired counterparts, the Maximals, of Beast Wars fame. This is just one of the many incarnations of the storied franchise, which has taken on forms ranging from cars to tanks and dinosaurs.
While it is a property that is used to sell toys, that doesn’t stop it from entering some dark territory at times. The franchise has depicted tragic deaths, torture, and trauma that comes from fighting in a war. Here are some of the grimmest moments throughout the history of Transformers.
6 Arcee’s Torture By Airachnid: Transformers Prime
At its heart, the Transformers franchise has been a war story. It deals with a conflict millions of years old that has ravaged a planet and forced the Transformers into the stars, and eventually to Earth. The CG-animated Transformers Prime is one incarnation that focuses on the impact of war more heavily than others.
One Autobot that carries the scars of war is Arcee. When an old rival, Airachnid, arrives on Earth, Arcee flashes back to her torture at the Decepticon's hands on Cybertron, as well as the murder of her partner in front of her eyes. This moment shows off Airachnid’s sadistic nature, making her one of the few foes that she fears. She would be an interesting candidate to appear in a theatrical film.
5 Transmutate: Beast Wars Transformers
Beast Wars: Transformers was a radically new take on the Transformers concept. Rather than focusing on the Autobots and Decepticons, Beast Wars spotlights their descendants, the Maximals, led by Optimus Primal, and the Predacons, led by Megatron. One episode sees Maximal Silverbolt and Predacon Rampage encounter a Transformer that has immense power but is structurally deviant from other Transformers, not even capable of transforming, and only having the mind of a child. The Predacon Rampage sees a kindred spirit in the being, whom he calls Transmutate, as he was also an outcast himself.
When the Maximals finally recover the Transformer, they discuss putting him in stasis lock for both Transmutate's safety and the Maximals'. This leads to Silverbolt lashing at Optimus for what he sees as a eugenics course of action. When Transmutate sees both Rampage and Silverbolt fighting, he puts himself between them, not wanting the two people that care about him to be hurt anymore. Unfortunately, he gets caught in the crossfire and is killed. Rampage’s pain at his loss is palpable, as the brute did truly care for him. “Transmutate” is one Beast Wars episode that stands the test of time.
4 The Fate Of Rhinox Revealed: Beast Machines
Following the success of Beast Wars: Transformers, the franchise was shaken up once more with Beast Machines, which saw the Maximals back on a Cybertron where Megatron has taken over and converted innocent Cybertronians into his Vehicon army. To make matters worse, Maximals Silverbolt and Rhinox went missing.
It wasn’t until Part 3 of Season 1’s “Revelations” story arc that the fate of Rhinox was revealed. He had been reformatted into the adversarial machine Tankor. While they were able to awaken his memories, Rhinox had changed, siding with Megatron, believing his regime to be best for Cybertron. Before the Maximals attempted to reformat him, Optimus ordered them to stand down, claiming it would make them no better than Megatron, and that he has to be free to make his own choices. It is a grim reminder that sometimes, people end up changing.
3 The Death Of Optimus Prime: The Transformers: The Movie
Children in the 80s were thrilled to see their heroes on the big screen in Transformers: The Movie. This film famously introduced the planet-sized entity Unicron, voiced by Orson Welles, who resurrects a fallen Megatron into Galvatron, who proceeds to decimate the Autobots.
Among the victims was the heroic Optimus Prime. Not many kids likely went to the movies to see their hero die. Seeing cartoon characters leave like that is not something one would expect. In his final moments, Optimus surrenders the Matrix of Leadership, a vessel connecting him to Autobots of the past, and potentially being their only salvation against Unicron. Seeing the fall of an iconic hero is something that will be forever etched in Transformers fans’ minds.
2 Sari Discovers She Is Not Human: Transformers Animated
Transformers: Animated was another big change for the franchise, rendering the characters in an exaggerated anime style. Even it had its share of dark moments, however. Such an example was the mystery involving the Autobots’ human companion, a child named Sari, who had no record of even existing.
At the end of Episode 29 and in Episode 30, Sari would discover that she was, in fact, not human, but rather was initially a protoform that appeared in her father’s lab. This not only created an existential crisis for her but also temporarily formed a rift between her and her father.
1 Ratchet Uses Synthetic Energon: Transformers Prime
In Transformers Prime Season 1, Episode 17 “Stronger, Faster,” Ratchet seeks to create a synthetic form of Energon, the Transformers’ most important resource, as a backup for their dwindling supply. He uses it on himself to help the Autobots in combat, giving himself greater strength. It also changed his personality, making him more aggressive, clouding his judgment, and causing him to resort to tactics that are more in line with the Decepticons than the Autobots.
Anyone who has witnessed or experienced the struggles of drug addiction will be all too familiar with the changes Ratchet experiences. Drugs don’t just hurt the user, but their loved ones as well. One of the great strengths of Transformers Prime was that it integrated serious topics into its fantastical narrative.