Transformers Onebreathes new life into the overarchingTransformersfranchise by featuring a never-seen-before version of Optimus Prime who goes through three major transitions as the film progresses. Directed by Josh Cooley,Transformers Oneis officially among the most acclaimed installments of the franchise. Its critical success can be attributed to several factors. However, one of the biggest reasons it is being received so well is that it dares to bring something different to the table instead of treading the same path as the previous live-action films.
Instead of confining its setting to Earth,Transformers Oneunfolds on the titular race’s home planet, Cybertron, and only focuses on its titular robotic beings.Transformers One’s timelineis also set in the past compared to the live-action films, allowing it to portray versions of Optimus Prime and Megatron that audiences are not accustomed to seeing on the big screen. With its new timeline and setting,Transformers Onenot only walks through how Optimus Prime and Megatron became enemies but also highlights how Orion Pax gradually went through three major transitions to become Optimus Prime.
Orion Pax’s Miner Transformer Form
He Has Little To No Special Abilities As A Miner
InTransformers One’s opening arc, Orion Pax, like D-16, is just a regular miner on Cybertron with no special abilities. His sole purpose is to extract Energon from the planet’s mines because Cybertron’s Energon-rich rivers have dried up. With no powers,Orion Pax seems far from being the Optimus Prime portrayed in thelive-actionTransformersmovies. He and D-16 seem incredibly weak against powerful forces like Sentinel Prime, but their lack of abilities does not hold them back from keeping their hopes up.
…these early moments from the film highlight how, even when Orion Pax did not have powers, he still had the skills and resourcefulness to inspire others around him.
Therefore, instead of being weighed down by his lack of cogs and inability to transform, Orion Pax encourages D-16 to join the Iacon 5000 race with him. Even after competing with several Transformers who can transform, Orion Pax and D-16 leverage their ambition and determination to overcome their unfair disadvantages. Although they eventually lose the race, these early moments from the film highlight how, even when Orion Pax did not have powers, he still had the skills and resourcefulness to inspire others around him. These skills ultimately helped him become the Autobot leader.
Orion Pax’s First Transformer Form
He Gets New Cogs That Allow Him To Transform
After Orion Pax and the crew finally find Alpha Trion inTransformers One, he tells the shocking truth about Sentinel Prime and how he betrayed the Primes by teaming up with the Quintessons. Despite realizing how powerless they are, Orion Pax expresses his enthusiasm for fighting back against Sentinel Prime. D-16, however, cannot help but disagree with him because he understands they do not stand a chance due to their inability to transform. This is when Alpha Trion reveals that all beings born on Cybertron are naturally capable of transforming.
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He tells them that Sentinel Prime intentionally took away their ability to transform by secretly removing their cogs. Realizing that Orion Pax and the team could ultimately save their planet from the Quintessons before it is too late,Trion grants them the fallen Primes' cogs. This not only allows them to transform but also helps them unlock new abilities. Like the others, Orion Pax initially struggles to understand the new changes in his system and only manages to hide his head when he initially attempts to transform. However, soon, his instincts kick in and he transforms into a truck.
Optimus Prime’s Upgraded Transformer Form
His Final Form Makes Him Optimus Prime
InTransformers One’s endingarc, Orion Pax gradually morphs into Optimus Prime as he sets out to lead a rebellion with the help of his fellow miners. He empowers them by helping them realize that Transformers are defined less by their gear and cogs and more by the spark within them to change the world. However, during a climactic showdown, he accidentally gets shot by D-16, who, instead of saving him, lets him perish after believing that he was stepping in his way. This is the moment where D-16 turns into the evil Megatron.
DID YOU KNOW:Transformers Oneis Chris Hemsworth’s first animated feature film.
After Orion Pax falls into the heart of Primus,he is rewarded with the Matrix of Leadership for his act of bravery and sacrifice. This is when he finally embodies Optimus Prime. He not only gains the ability to regenerate his damaged parts but is also able to help the miners regrow their stolen cogs. The Matrix of Leadership’s emergence also marks the return of Energon on Cybertron’s surface, paving the way for Optimus Prime to become the Autobots' supreme leader inTransformers One.
Every Autobot & Decepticon Who Appears In Transformers One
Ahead of its release date later this year, Transformers One confirms the return of familiar Autobots and Decepticons from the franchise.
Key Background
Transformers One
Transformers One is an animated action-adventure movie that marks the first animated feature-length film for the series in decades. The film will be a prequel to the franchise, and will tell the story of Optimus Prime and Megatron in their early years, how they met, and a closer look at the war on their home planet, Cybertron.
