Warning: this article contains spoilers for Transformers One.
WhileTransformers Onehas been touted as one of thebest adaptations in theTransformersfranchise, the film still contains key differences to the source material that change the characters' history and the story’s direction. Telling the story ofOrion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry)before they become Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively,Transformers Onehas enjoyed a broadly positive critical reception. With the tumultuous history of the theatricalTransformersreleases, changes are likely to cause some amount of controversy, but the alterations toTransformers One’sstory have been widely accepted.
Many of these changes are made for the sake of the story being told, for the movie to feel like a complete experience without the need to understand thebackstory to the broaderTransformerstimeline. However, many of the changes are likely aiming toavoid the same reactions thatTransformers: The Movie(1986) elicited from some of its viewerswhen it was first released; specifically around the backlash to the death of Optimus Prime.
Optimus Prime’s Origin In Transformers One Doesn’t Include Him Dying
Orion Pax Isn’t Outright Killed In Transformers One
In theoriginal Transformers G1 continuity, Orion Pax doesn’t simply become Optimus Prime – he has to be rebuilt as this great hero. He has an unfortunate chance encounter with Megatron, whereOrion Pax is killed by the Decepticonfor trying to stop him from stealing the energy he was guarding. His body is brought to Alpha Trion, who takes the parts from Orion Pax and combines them with the Matrix of Leadership to create a new Transformer, who is then given the name Optimus Prime.
While there is some contention about whether Orion Pax truly died in the G1 continuity before becoming Optimus Prime, the show certainly goes out of its way to show that Orion was fully non-functional before being brought to Alpha Trion.
This origin differs fromTransformers One, as Orion and D-16 are close friends before they even become Optimus and Megatron. While the two characters have to clash with each other by the end of the movie,Transformers Onediffers in how the story arrives at that point,opting not to have Orion Pax killed, but instead just having him thought to have been killed before he officially becomes the Optimus Prime the audience knows.
Transformers Couldn’t Kill Optimus Prime Again After Transformers: The Movie
Young Transformers Fans Won’t Have To Relive The Trauma
WhileTransformers OneandTransformers: The Movie (1986)exist in entirely different universes under entirely different circumstances,Transformers Onewanted to avoid creating the same situation that the original animated film did when it killed Optimus Prime. Early inTransformers: The Movie, during a fierce battle with Megatron,Optimus Prime is mortally wounded, giving his matrix to Ultra Magnusbefore succumbing to his wounds and dying. Unlike what many would expect from a show aimed at younger audiences, this wasn’t a fake-out or a misdirection – Optimus was truly gone.
Kids seeing their favorite Saturday morning cartoon character brutally killed in an act of violence stuck with many people for a long time…
Killing the main, beloved character of a cartoon understandably devastated the audience, especially younger viewers. Kids seeing their favorite Saturday morning cartoon character brutally killed in an act of violence stuck with many people for a long time, andTransformers Onewanted to avoid filling its younger audience with that same sense of dread. The movieis keen on ensuring its younger audience fully enjoys their time with the film, helping to earnTransformers Onewidespread acclaim.
Optimus Prime’s New Origin Still Makes Him Reborn In Transformers One
Orion Pax Still Transforms Into Optimus Prime
Even though Orion Pax isn’t outright killed inTransformers One,the filmmakers still ensure that Optimus Prime is not just Orion Pax with a new coat of paint.He has been reborn as a new Transformer, without telling the same story that previous continuities have. At the climax of the movie,Orion Pax is thought to be deadafter Megatron drops him, similar to the way he is killed in olderTransformersmedia. However, he is brought back by the spirits of the Primes, not as Orion Pax, but as Optimus Prime, reborn as the ultimate savior of Cybertron.
Optimus Prime’s 3 Different Forms In Transformers One Explained
In its 104-minute run, Transformers One not only explores a compelling Cybertronian story but also showcases Optimus Prime’s three different forms.
This new origin for the character still retains the heart of his story, wherea simple worker is transformed into the hero Optimus Prime, without the baggage of showing a bunch of children their favorite character’s demise. Orion Pax still technically meets his end, butTransformers Oneshows that without needing to resort to actually killing off the character, and the film still gets the best of both worlds, in a gripping story about a character’s transformation that still allows viewers of all kinds to enjoy it, all while leaving room for ahopefulTransformers Onesequel.
