| NOTE: This article is about the Transformers One incarnation of Megatron. For the other incarnations of the character, go to the disambiguation page. |
|
| “ | I'm done saving you. | „ |
| ~ D-16 betraying Orion Pax by letting him fall to his "death" by dropping him in Cybertron's core; his most famous quote. |
| “ | I will lead us all into the future! (places Megatronus Prime's transformation cog into himself and transforms) I... am... MEGATRON!! | „ |
| ~ D-16 finally becoming Megatron and embracing his inner villainy and the dark side, and his third most famous quote. |
| “ | Sentinel, the betrayer, is dead. But his death has given life to a new enemy... a stronger enemy... a personal enemy. We will not be blinded by his deception! We are the ones who are... DECEPTICONS! RISE UP!! | „ |
| ~ Megatron officially establishing the Decepticons. |
Megatron, originally known as D-16, is the deuteragonist of the 2024 animated science fiction action film Transformers One. Originally a rash but kind miner, he was Orion Pax's best friend who often ended up being the one to get Orion out of trouble while trying to follow protocol the best he could. Like Orion, he idolized the Primes and desired to live up to their example - with his personal favorite being Megatronus Prime, who was noted to be the strongest Prime in history.
However, his resentment and fury over the truth about Sentinel's alleged status as a Prime alongside his crippling of the populace of Iacon led D-16 to exhibit darker impulses to the point of embarking on a dark path that culminated in him becoming a ruthless and destructive tyrant. After rechristening himself as Megatron, he took control of Cybertron's High Guard and reformed them into the Decepticons, swearing revenge on Orion (now known as Optimus Prime) for banishing him, with the latter becoming his sworn arch-nemesis.
He was voiced by Brian Tyree Henry, who also played General Butt F**king Naked in 2011 musical The Book of Mormon and Lemon in Bullet Train.
History[]
Past[]
D-16 was one of numerous Cybertronians in the miner class, which consisted of Cybertronians without transformation cogs who solely served as menial laborers for the rest of the planet. During his early years, D-16 would befriend fellow miner Orion Pax, both of them coming to be brothers in all but name.
Transformers One[]
He first appeared when he rescued Orion from two guards chasing him, with the former giving D-16 a sticker of Megatronus Prime, the Prime he deeply admired, as a gift for his friend. He then went to the mines with the other miners led by Elita-1. However, the mines exploded which forced the miners to evacuate. Jazz got trapped in the process and both Orion and D-16 stayed behind to save his life. Elita got fired by Darkwing for the duo’s ruckus. Orion tried to defend Elita's honor which ended in both him and D-16 getting knocked out by Darkwing.
Wanting to prove themselves as more than miners, Orion and D-16 secretly entered the Iacon 5000 race but lost despite their efforts. However, Sentinel took an interest and, instead of punishing them, had a security guard give them a new post at his residence. Unfortunately, Darkwing sent them to the smelting area out of spite for making him lose the race, where they met B-127. The three of them then discovered a chip in the junk with a distress message from Alpha Trion, one of the Primes, revealing coordinates to his location on the planet's surface.
Discovering the truth of Sentinel[]
The three hitchhiked on a train carrying crates to the surface, inadvertently bringing Elita along. They eventually discovered a deactivated Trion and a mass grave of the Primes inside a cavern. After reactivating him, Trion revealed that Sentinel betrayed and murdered the Primes and allied with the Quintessons for power in return for Energon, and secretly removed the miners' transformation cogs to keep them powerless.
Trion gave Orion's team the fallen Primes' cogs, allowing them to transform, as well as a chip carrying evidence of Sentinel's treason. However, Sentinel's soldiers arrived, so Trion held them off to allow the others to escape, resulting in him being captured and executed by Sentinel.
Rallying the High Guard[]
Following their escape from Sentinel's forces, D-16 became more distant and vengeful after receiving the T-Cog, as he planned to murder Sentinel Prime in front of Iacon. They ended up being captured by the High Guard, led by Starscream. D-16 challenged Starscream for leadership of the High Guard, Despite Starscream's efforts, he was overwhelmed by D-16 which ended up in Starscream’s defeat and allowing D-16 to become the new leader of the High Guard. However, Sentinel's forces then came to the High Guard’s headquarters and captured half of the High Guard, including D-16 and B-127.
At Sentinel’s tower, he confronted the High Guard and planned to execute them for treason. D-16 stood up to Sentinel as he said that he had nothing left to lose. Sentinel then realized that D-16 admired Megatronus Prime due to the sticker Orion gave him and burned it horribly into D-16's chest in an agonizing way just to mock both D-16 and the memory of his hero. He also revealed that he stole Megatronus Prime's cog for himself, much to D-16's anger. Despite having Megatronus' symbol on his chest, D-16 continues to remain defiant, annoying Sentinel to execute him immediately. Orion and Elita came to rescue D and Bee and confronted Sentinel and his forces. While Orion and the others went to capture Airachnid, D stayed behind to fight against Sentinel.
Descent into darkness and becoming Megatron[]
With Sentinel's crimes exposed to all of Iacon, D-16 was dead-set on executing him on the spot, but Orion stopped him and outright pled with him not to go down that path. Orion then got shot trying to stop him. While initially horrified at his actions, but D-16 foolishly and ultimately let Orion fall into Cybertron's core while telling him that he will not save him again, descended in darkness now, before killing Sentinel and taking Megatronus Prime's cog. He removes the cog that Alpha Trion gave him put Megatronus Prime's cog in him, D-16 then rechristened himself as "Megatron" and rallied the High Guard into destroying Iacon, without caring about the lives he endangered in the process. Elita and Bee tried to stop Megatron from causing destruction, to no avail as with his new core he was too strong for the both of them.
First fight with Optimus Prime[]
Orion came back as Optimus Prime, thanks to Primus and the 13 Primes deeming him worthy of the Matrix of Leadership for sacrificing himself to save Sentinel despite the latter's crimes. Megatron and Optimus fought for the first time, with Optimus defeating him in the end, proving to be too strong and powerful. A heartbroken Optimus rightfully tells Megatron of betraying Cybertron, going down the same path as Sentinel did especially after getting the power he was supposed to use for good. Despite being heartbroken, but without hesitation, Optimus had Megatron and the High Guard banished from Iacon for their reckless actions. Vowing revenge as he leaves with the High Guard, Megatron stated that it was not over between him and Optimus, despite that the fight already is, which marked the end of their deep friendship and their turn into bitter enemies.
In the post-credits scene, following Sentinel's death after Optimus rebranded the Iaconians as Autobots, Megatron renamed the High Guard as the Decepticons, using the face of Megatronus as his symbol and symbolizing the beginning of the Great War between the Autobots and Decepticons one that will likely result in the tragic desolation and destruction of Cybertron.
D-16 was no more... All that remained was Megatron.
Appearance[]
As a Coggless miner, D-16’s appearance is heavily influenced by the industrial and raw nature of Cybertron’s mining operations. His frame is bulky, rugged, and mechanical, with exposed gears and intricate piping replacing any fluid motion mechanisms. The miner form has a utilitarian design, with a large, angular torso and reinforced limbs meant to handle the heavy lifting required in mining environments. His color scheme is a mix of deep metallic greys, rusted reds, and burnt oranges, reflecting the harsh, underground environments he works in. His face is more utilitarian, with a hardened, angular jaw and a pair of glowing optics, giving him a no-nonsense, battle-hardened look. His arms are thick and covered in plating, equipped with large, claw-like hands that are built for mining but could easily serve in combat.
After receiving a T-Cog, D-16's alt form is a Cybertronian tank. D-16 takes on the appearance of a towering, imposing war machine, designed for both offense and defense. His body is heavily armored, with tank treads that snake along the lower half of his legs, providing a sense of weight and immensity. Sentinel branded Megatronus' face on his chest.
After inputting Megatronus' T-Cog, D-16's body upgraded to being even bigger with Megatronus' face being healed. His body is sleek yet muscular, with sophisticated, polished armor that combines a menacing angularity with a regal, high-tech design. He later prints the Decepticon insignia on his chest, where his scar once was.
Personality[]
| “ | The line between friend and enemy is not as clear as I once believed. Once it's crossed, there's no going back, because some transformations... are permanent. | „ |
| ~ Optimus Prime sadly remarking on D-16's tragic fall to villainy as Megatron. |
Megatron’s personality is shaped by a combination of his oppressive and vengeful upbringing, his deep convictions, emotional volatility, and a growing sense of betrayal. Initially, as D-16, he is shown as a brave, kind, laid back and passionate miner with a strong moral compass, driven by the ideals of justice and fairness that he shares with his friend, Orion Pax. He is loyal and protective, often stepping in to save Orion from trouble, showcasing a caring side and a belief in a better future for Cybertron. He is also capable of politeness and being considerate, irritable and sensitive to others' feelings, as shown when he stopped himself from insulting B-127-a complete stranger-despite finding him strange and annoying. Despite this, he is also initially weak-willed and prone to following Orion's whims. However, as his worldview grew darker, D-16's sense of will became stronger, but also less compassionate.
Beneath his good-natured exterior, D-16 harbors an inner turmoil, especially regarding the oppressive conditions in Iacon and the corruption within Cybertron’s leadership conflicting with his desire to follow the rules. His strong sense of justice quickly turns into bitterness and resentment when he and the group uncovered the truth about Sentinel Prime’s deceptions. This sense of betrayal fuels his anger, leading him to foolishly believe that only through force and domination can real change be achieved. The leader he looked up to so much proving to be so despicable absolutely shatters D-16's views to an irreparable degree. He goes from urging Orion to have blind faith in their leaders, to harboring an extreme hatred for anything he can interpret as control or leadership. However, what he retains is the belief that those in power have every right to treat those beneath them as beneath them. His once noble intentions become twisted, and his rash, emotional nature drives him down a path of violence.
Throughout the film, D-16 idolizes Megatronus the most out of all of the Thirteen Primes for his mighty power. He eagerly accepts his friend Orion Pax giving him a rare sticker based on Megatronus' face and begins wearing it proudly on his left shoulder. In the beginning, he also greatly respected Sentinel Prime, accepting his current oppressive reign due to a belief that Sentinel would make the world better eventually. As a result, the reveal that Sentinel is not only a traitor but the one responsible for all their problems. D-16 becoming aggressive, vengeful and angry, and causes his kindly personality to rapidly erode in rage. By placing all his faith in the system, the system is revealed as unworthy and shatters him. D-16's hatred of Sentinel reaches its peak when the false Prime cruelly mocks him for his hero worship of Megatronus, reveals his possession of the real Prime's cog, and destroys D-16's beloved sticker by painfully scorching a crude rendition of Megatronus' face into his chest. After killing Sentinel, D-16 took Megatronus' cog and installed it into his own chest, renaming himself "Megatron" in honor of his hero and idol. He even created an insignia featuring his hero's face and branded it onto himself and the High Guard, transforming them into Decepticons.
As Megatron, he becomes a merciless, tyrannical, wrathful and power-hungry, yet clever and charismatic leader, using his anger and charisma to rally the Decepticons and wage war on Cybertron. He develops a ruthless and authoritarian streak, believing that peace and order can only be maintained through his iron-fisted rule. His idealism is replaced by a desire for control, and he sees any opposition, including his former friend Optimus, as a threat to his vision of Cybertron’s future.
His succumbing to megalomania and cruelty also twisted his perceptions, since despite Sentinel being a false Prime and the real Primes remaining faithful to Cybertron, Megatron still demanded the destruction of the legacy of the Primes, with the sole exception of Megatronus, whom he still idolizes by having his sigil as the Decepticon symbol.
It is worth noting that D-16 always possessed a level of deep-seated anger and hints of a violent personality. While he is good friends with Orion, he is constantly sniping and snarking at him throughout their relationship, threatening to "smelt his face right off" should they miss the Iacon 5000, stating, if given a transformation cog, he would "turn into a shovel and beat [Orion] with it." While this appears perfectly innocent at first, it does show he has a propensity for violence. When he found Megatronus' corpse, he was distraught, but his sorrow very quickly turned to a suppressed-rage. D-16 also strongly believed in the rules and the caste system installed on Cybertron, believing that Darkwing had every right to act like a petty jerk towards them and that he was in the wrong for attempting to diffuse the situation, which also involved punching Orion in the face.
He was also dismissive of Orion's ideas that they could be more than miners. This also translated into a great faith in leadership. This had the side effect that, when the true nature of Sentinel's reign was exposed, his personality flipped completely. He angrily crushed his rank badge and blamed Orion for their situation. He expressed frustration with Orion's desire to break the rules resulting in them being made aware of Sentinel's machinations, which confused Orion, but D-16 stated that "nothing bad happens when you stay on protocol." He accused Orion of being selfish, though in reality, here D-16 exposes his own selfishness. Rather than use this opportunity to find a way to expose Sentinel, like Orion was, he was more concerned about what it would affect him personally.
Throughout the conversation, he notably only describes what will happen to him, in contrast to Orion, who is always saying "we." He becomes so self-centered that he begins to prioritize his revenge against Sentinel over the wellbeing of others and the consequences. When Orion attempts to stop him from executing Sentinel to prevent both D-16 becoming a murderer and the potential societal upheaval caused by murdering a leader in a vigilante execution, a brief glimmer of D's original personality shines through when he catches his friend. However, he soon blames Orion for attempting to stop him, rather than recognize the part he played in shooting him, and ultimately decides to let Orion fall to his death, citing that he has had to save him too many times.
However, once he kills Sentinel, rather than be satisfied, he turns his attention to Iacon itself, desiring to destroy the city and any aligned with Sentinel. During this, he shows clear disregard for civilian life, not caring that his actions will certainly have casualties. When B-127 and Elita try to stop him, despite having once been friends, he very quickly decides they are enemies and attempts to kill them. If anyone is not entirely onboard with his every action, they too are an enemy. Once Orion returns, now reformatted as Optimus, Megatron is taken aback, surprised by his friend's survival and him being bestowed the Matrix of Leadership, but it quickly turns to rage. Once defeated, he is clearly hurt when Optimus banishes him, but once again refuses to take accountability, leading to the millennia long rivalry the two will share in the future. Despite this, Megatron considers Optimus to be very powerful by describing him more stronger than Sentinel, implying a small but brief sense of honor.
All in all D-16 believed that, as long as order was maintained, the system was justified, no matter how hard it hurt him. He believed that it's better to go on with your life, and remain ignorant of a system's exploitative nature, as long as your life could remain relatively comfortable. What he believed in was, essentially, peace, through tyranny. Ultimately, while D-16 wasn't always evil, the traits that would transform him into Megatron were present from the very start.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
Cybertronian Physiology: D-16 possesses the natural abilities inherent to all Cybertronians, but after receiving a Prime's T-Cog from Alpha Trion, D-16 received a major upgrade as all cogless Cybertronians did, growing much taller and nearly all of his body being replaced with stronger enhancements, even gaining the ability to equip a fusion cannon on his right arm. Once he acquired Megatronus Prime's unique T-Cog, Megatron became much stronger, with much of his body being further enhanced, especially his cannon, which upgraded to a triple barreled rapid-fire variant, putting him on a level equal to that of the Primes. Even after his triple cannon was destroyed, Megtron appeared to have it repaired thanks to his new power.
- Super Strength: After D-16 received a T-Cog, thanks to Alpha Trion, his strength became immense, allowing him to overpower most enemies with ease. His physical power is comparable to the strongest Primes, capable of devastating foes and even tearing apart other Transformers in battle able to fight multiple opponents nothing but his bare hands. Even without a T-Cog, it was implied that D-16 was fairly strong by cogless Cybertronian standards, as seen when he had blocked a punch from the much larger and cogged Darkwing with the former even managing to stand his ground. D-16 even manage to grab Orion during the Iacon 5000, while riding a cogged and fully transformed Cybertronian.
- Super Durability: D-16's body is highly resilient, able to withstand powerful energy blasts, crushing forces and extreme damage without being easily destroyed. The T-Cog enhancements make his armored body even more impervious to harm.
- Super Speed: Though not the fastest Cybertronian, D-16's enhanced speed allows him to move with surprising quickness in battle, closing gaps between him and his enemies or dodging incoming attacks; with agility.
- Super Agility: Despite D-16's size and bulk, he demonstrates impressive agility, performing complex maneuvers in battle; with ease and precision. Even without a T-Cog, it was implied that D-16 was fairly agile by cogless Cybertronian standards, as seen when he jumped from Spinout to Jetstorm, before riding a cogged Cybertronian and manage to grab Orion during the Iacon 5000, while riding the same Cybertronian.
- Super Stamina: D-16's mechanical physiology allows him to endure extended periods of physical exertion; without tiring at all; making him a relentless force in combat.
- Super Reflexes: D-16's reflexes are enhanced to near-instantaneous reaction times; allowing him to respond to threats, dodge attacks, and counter enemies; with speed and precision. Even without a T-Cog, it was implied that D-16's reflexes were high by cogless Cybertronian standards, as seen when he quickly caught Darkwing's punch (which was meant for Orion) and jumped from Spinout and Jetstorm during the Iacon 5000, before either of them had the chance to kick him off.
- Transformation: Like all Cybertronians, D-16 can transform into a Cybertronian Tank as he used his cannon to blast at his enemies with ease. He can also activate a his fusion cannon and another smaller blaster. Now as Megatron, his power had amplified significantly.
- Immortality: D-16 is virtually ageless, like most other Cybertronians, existing for millions of years.
Abilities[]
- Expert Combatant: Megatron is a highly powerful fighter in advanced combat, combining hand-to-hand techniques, weapon usage and even switching between robot and vehicle forms partially or fully to maintain an edge. Despite getting use to his new found powers, he manage to easily overpower Starscream, hold against Sentinel, and take down Death Trackers at the same time. He also manage to easily overpower B-127 and Elita.
- Master Leader: Megatron’s charisma and strength make him a formidable leader. He is able to inspire loyalty and fear within the Decepticons, commanding respect and authority. His strategic mind and tactical brilliance have allowed him to wage war on Cybertron with devastating effectiveness.
Weaknesses[]
- Poor strategy: As with the rest of the High Gaurd, D-16, and later Megatron, is overly reliant on charging headlong at the enemy before using any means possible to attack with full force. Against a similarly powerful but more strategic opponent such as Optimus, this has limited success, as the newly minted Prime was able to both dodge and quickly neutralize his threat through clear thinking.
- Blinded by Rage: Learning the truth about Sentinel's regime caused D-16 to turn loose all the repressed anger from both the injustice of modern Cybertronian society and having to deal with Orion's antics, causing him to be very short-sighted in his goals and act impulsively and recklessly. This has twice revealed the group's location to Sentinel's forces. As well as foolishly betraying his own friends, especially Orion, whom he trusted and cared about him, as well as becoming the one thing he once hated.
Equipment[]
Mining Equipment[]
- Energon Drills: D-16, like every miner, used some powerful drills were essential for breaking through Cybertron’s tough metal crust to access hidden Energon deposits. The drills were mounted on his arms, allowing him to work efficiently and quickly. While primarily tools for labor, they also became useful in self-defense or in physical confrontations, able to crush or damage anyone who threatened him.
- Jet Packs: D-16 uses some Jetpacks to travel to the mines so he can extract Energon, and he and Orion used said Jet Packs to run into the Iacon 5000 race.
Weapons[]
- Fusion Cannon: Manifesting from his right arm, D-16 is able to summon a fusion cannon. This weapon can cause damage as Orion's body had a hole and was scrapped. The weapon loading sound is similar to a shotgun. When he inserted Megatronus’ T-Cog the cannon became a triple-barreled Rapid-Fire Variation.
- Megatronus Prime's Cog: After killing Sentinel, D-16 claimed Megatronus' cog and used it to replace Onyx Prime's cog, which was personally gifted to him by Alpha Trion.
Relationships[]
Allies[]
- Opitmus Prime/Orion Pax - Best friend, brother-in-arms, formerly
- Elita-1 - Former boss, formerly
- B-127 - Close friend and ally, formerly
- Miners - Formerly
- Alpha Trion - Presumably formerly
- Megatronus Prime - Idol, deceased
- Decepticons
- Starscream
- Soundwave
- Shockwave
- Skywarp
- Thundercracker
- Dirge
- Ramjet
- Thrust
- Slipstream
- Redwing
Enemies[]
- Autobots
- Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Second and current arch-nemesis
- Elita-1
- B-127
- Darkwing
- Sentinel Prime - Corrupter, first arch-nemesis, victim
- Airachnid
- Trackers
- Quintessons
Quotes[]
| “ | Orion Pax: Hey, Megatronus Prime. Nice! D-16: Oh yeah. Well, he's my hero. Both: The greatest Prime that ever lived. [chuckling] D-16: I'm D-16. Orion Pax: Orion Pax. D-16: You ever mined Energon before? Orion Pax: No, you? D-16: No. I've heard it's dangerous. Orion Pax: I'll tell you what. You watch my back, I promise to watch yours. D-16: Alright, thanks… Pax. |
„ |
| ~ D-16 meeting Orion Pax for the first time. |
| “ | D-16: (grunts) Hey! Watch where you're going! Ohh... Guard 2: (angrily) What'd you say, no-cog?! D-16: Sorry, sir, I didn't mean you. I was referring to the bot who was behind you. Guard 1/KDQ-12: What? Where'd he go? D-16: The filthy red and blue bot? Has a big mouth, squeaky joints, gives off a corroded metallic stench? Guard 2: (angrily) Where is he!? D-16: (points to the right) He went that way. Guard 2: (running to the right along with Guard 1) When I get my hands on that bot... |
„ |
| ~ D-16's first words, distracting the guards long enough for Orion Pax to hide. |
| “ | D-16: All right, all clear. Orion Pax: Okay, D-16, I may be a little rusty, but “corroded”? That is too far. D-16: Let me guess. Chased out of the archives? Orion Pax: (laughs) Yeah. I had to jump out of a window this time. Almost died. (laughs) It was wild. D-16: And digging through ancient data is worth dying for? Orion Pax: Yes, it is. D-16: I need a new best friend. Orion Pax: If there are clues in our recorded history that can help locate the Matrix of Leadership, they’re in the archives. D-16: Sentinel Prime. The Sentinel Prime, is up on the surface right now, risking his life for us in search of the Matrix. Orion Pax: That's exactly what I'm doing; Where I'm trying to help him. D-16: Yeah. (chuckles) Okay. Orion Pax: The sooner Energon flows again, the sooner we won't have to mine for it. Don't you want to choose your own path, do whatever you want? D-16: We're miners, we mine. That's all. Orion Pax: No, there's got to be something more I can do. I can feel it. D-16: Oh yeah? Like the time you had a "feeling" you could transform without a cog? Orion Pax: You said you were never going to mention that again. D-16: Took me three days to pry you open. Your feelings get you in trouble. Orion Pax: Yeah, yeah... D-16: Just trust in Sentinel Prime. Orion Pax: I do trust in him. Hey, if we did have cogs- D-16: I'd transform into a shovel, and beat you. Orion Pax: I don't like how fast you answered that. But listen, if you did beat me, I wouldn't give you this awesome Megatronus Prime thing I have here. It's cool, I'll give it to someone else. D-16: What Megatronus Prime thing? Orion Pax: Ah, it's nothing. Just uhh, you know, Mint-Condition Megatronus Prime decal, first edition. D-16: (softly gasps) What? Orion Pax: I mean, if you don't want it I can just throw it away. D-16: Throw it away?!- Don't- that's not funny! Let me see. Orion Pax: Whoa, don't grab. You're gonna crease it. (places the decal on D-16's shoulder) D-16: You know, Sentinel said that Megatronus was the- Orion Pax: The strongest Prime to ever live. I know, buddy. Looks good on you. D-16: Ahh, it's really cool. Thanks. Orion Pax: Always got your back. D-16: No matter what. (D-16 and Orion Pax fistbump) |
„ |
| ~ D-16 to Orion Pax after the former rescued him from the archive guards, then the latter gifts him a Megatronus Prime decal, revealing how they used to be best friends before their future. |
| “ | D-16: If we survive this, I’m gonna kill you! Orion Pax: I accept those terms! |
„ |
| ~ D-16 and Orion Pax during the Iacon race, foreshadowing their future betrayal and fall out. |
| “ | Orion Pax: Gotcha! D-16: We’re not fast enough! Orion Pax: Improvise! Spinout: Hey! Get off! D-16: Spinout! Big fan! Jetstorm: Hey! D-16: Jetstorm, I’m so sorry. Big fan! Unnamed Cybertronian: Get off! Orion Pax: Time it just right! And… now! |
„ |
| ~ Orion Pax and D-16 during the race after Darkwing sabotage them. |
| “ | Orion Pax: So... how long do you think we'll be here? D-16: I'm not talking to you… you know what? I can’t believe you made me do that, We are so screwed! Orion Pax: I thought you weren't talking to me. D-16: Hey, look, I know it's all a big joke to you. But not me. I was paying my dues. I was going places. And now they’re gonna bust me down I- I don’t even know how many tiers! Orion Pax: I'm sorry, D. But come on, didn’t you feel it? Even for just a second, didn’t you feel liberated? Didn’t you feel like you were something else? Like you could be more than what they say you are?. D-16: Yeah, I felt it. I did. But it doesn’t matter. We're going to get punished and demoted. (sighs) Sentinel Prime saw the whole thing. This is so embarrassing. Airachnid: It’s clear. Sentinel Prime: Orion Pax. D-16. What you two did today was one of the craziest things I've ever seen. Orion Pax: Sir, this is all my idea, and we're so sorry. Sentinel Prime: I loved it! Orion Pax: You did? Sentinel Prime: How could anyone not love it? You gave my best racers a real run for their money! D-16: So, we're not getting demoted? Sentinel Prime: Demoted? (laughs loudly along with Orion, D-16 and reluctant Airachnid) Demoted. D-16: What is happening? Sentinel Prime: The fact of the matter is we're halfway into the first shift since the race ended and that mining crew has already reached 150% quota. You inspired them to work harder! Orion Pax: Sentinel Prime, sir, we joined the race to show everyone our potential. That we bots can do more than just mine... Sentinel Prime: Outstanding! I love a bot that can think for himself. Perhaps you two could tour the mines, speak to your brethren, and help them see their potential. Orion Pax: Wow! Okay, great. That sounds incredible. I would love to... Airachnid: Sir, it's time. Sentinel Prime: Ah, yes. I'm sorry, friends. We're preparing our next travel to the surface. But in the meantime, I've got a treat for you. Hang tight. Airachnid, have someone escort these heroes to my personal service facilities. Best care in Iacon. Until next time, legends! |
„ |
| ~ Orion Pax and D-16 in a waiting room after the race and being confronted by Sentinel and being praised by him for their efforts and performance. |
| “ | Alpha Trion: Now you have seen the truth. D-16: Every day… every single day of my life… has been... a lie. Orion Pax: My God, I knew it! Deep down, I always felt something was off. D-16: He deceived… everyone. Elita-1: Sentinel bought himself power, then put us to work paying off his debt! B-127: I can't believe it. Well, obviously, I can believe it, I just saw it, but I still… I can't believe it. D-16: Sentinel... lied... to my face. Orion Pax: It was all a sham. How could we have been so gullible? Oh, this… this is going to change everything. D-16: [stomps on badge] You just had to do it, didn't you?! Orion Pax: Me? What did I do? D-16: You just had to go to the surface; had to enter the Iacon 5000! You just HAD to break protocol! Orion Pax: Who cares about protocol? D-16: I do! I CARE! Because nothing bad happens when you stay on protocol. Orion Pax: Sentinel Prime has been forcing us to work in the mines until our gears strip, and all the while he's been giving the Energon away to our greatest enemies. D-16: Oh, and what do you think he's gonna do to us when he finds out that we know? Orion Pax: I'm not thinking about what he's going to do. I'm thinking about what we're going to do! D-16: Well, that's the whole thing! You're never thinking about anything else, just yourself! Fantastic! Another Orion Pax master plan! I can't wait to hear this. Orion Pax: But don't you want to stop him? D-16: NO, I WANT TO KILL HIM!! I want to put Sentinel in chains and march him through the mines so that everyone can see him for the FALSE PRIME THAT HE IS! I want him to suffer and then to die in darkness! But we all know that it doesn't matter what I want, right, Pax? The fact is, we're just cogless bots, right? We had limited options, and now… now we have none. |
„ |
| ~ D-16 revealing that he wants to kill Sentinel for his betrayal and his first breakdown. |
| “ | Orion Pax: That's our proof and you're spilling it everywhere. D-16: I… got… it. |
„ |
| ~ D-16 taking control of the map and one of the first signs of Megatron forming inside of him. |
| “ | Starscream: Hey! What are you doing?! D-16: (tries to walk away, but High Guard stops him) I tell you what I'm not doing. (turns around and walks up to Starscream) I'm not cowering in some busted ship playing king of the throne. I'm not pretending like I’m making a difference by throwing one punch and then running away to hide! I found that Sentinel is rotten today, and I'm gonna make him pay for it. Today! Starscream: You think you can insult me and just walk away? No one leaves here unless I say so. D-16: Is that right? Well, how can you say so… with my head in your teeth? (headbutts Starscream in the face) Orion Pax: D! |
„ |
| ~ D-16 to Starscream before their fight. |
| “ | You wanted to see the strength of one bot over another?! | „ |
| ~ D-16 to the High Guard. |
| “ | Bear witness! This is the last time I show mercy! Decide right now! You can stay here in hiding, bowing before your pathetic leader, or follow me as we march on Iacon and I take down Sentinel ONCE AND FOR ALL!! | „ |
| ~ D-16 showing his ruthless side at the High Guard after overthrowing Starscream. |
| “ | Sentinel: Well, well. What's this about? D-16: I'm not kneeling in front of you. Sentinel: Feeling confident, are we? D-16: You don't scare me. You want to know why? Sentinel: Please. D-16: Because I don't have anything left to lose. You... took it all. Sentinel: I sure did. (Sentinel punches D-16 down, much to B-127's and Starscream's shock. Sentinel notices Megatronus Prime's decal on D-16's arm) Sentinel: Ah, Megatronus Prime. Of course you were a fan. Megatronus was the coolest Prime! The biggest! The baddest! The toughest! That's why, after I killed him... (opens his chest, revealing Megatronus' T-Cog) I took his cog for myself. D-16: He was greater than you'll ever be! Sentinel: I don't know. I'm pretty great. But I can understand why you'd want to wear his face over mine. Here. Let's make sure it doesn't come off. |
„ |
| ~ D-16 daring to stand up to Sentinel. |
| “ | Orion Pax: What has he done to you? D-16: This is nothing… compared to what I'm gonna do to Sentinel. |
„ |
| ~ D-16 to Orion Pax when the latter checks on him. |
| “ | D-16: What are you doing?! Orion Pax: It's over, D. Everyone in Iacon knows the truth. D-16: SO DO I! He took EVERYTHING from us! I have to do this! Orion Pax: No, you don't. Rebuilding Iacon cannot begin with an execution. D-16: He deserves to die! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?! Orion Pax: We're better than this. Don't be like Sentinel. D-16: (calmly yet furiously) Pax... you need to move out of my way... before I move you myself. Orion Pax: D, listen- (D-16 punches and kicks Orion out of the way. He then prepares to shoot Sentinel as the latter tries to crawl away.) Stop-! (Takes the blast instead, losing one of his arms. He nearly falls off a ledge but D-16 grabs him) D-16: No! No, no, no, no, no! Why...? Why did you do that?! WHY?! (His distraught expression slowly turns to anger) Orion Pax: D... no. D-16: (slowly looks down... and looks at Orion Pax with red eyes) I'm done saving you. |
„ |
| ~ D-16 arguing with Orion Pax over Sentinel's fate before allowing him to fall to his death as he finally embraces the path of evil. |
| “ | The age of Primes has ended! No more false prophets! Follow me, and you will never again be deceived! RISE UP!! | „ |
| ~ D-16's speech to the High Guard after killing Sentinel, and his second most famous quote. |
| “ | Burn it down! ALL OF IT!! | „ |
| ~ Megatron demanding the destruction of Iacon City. |
| “ | Elita- 1: Stop! It's over! Megatron: It's over when every last one of his followers is DEAD!! |
„ |
| ~ Megatron to Elita-1 while she and B-127/Bumblebee try to stop him. |
| “ | Megatron: Impossible. Primus gave you the Matrix? Optimus Prime: We could have built the future together. Megatron: I'll build it myself... after I tear down everyone IN MY WAY! |
„ |
| ~ Megatron before his first fight against his former best friend and his final villainous breakdown. |
| “ | Optimus Prime: We were given the power to change our world, and you chose to destroy it. Just like Sentinel. You have betrayed Cybertron and its citizens. And you betrayed... me. (Megatron stands back up) Go. Take the High Guard and leave. You are... banished from Iacon. (Megatron looks with shock and anger) It didn't have to end this way. Megatron: This isn't over... Prime. [limps away] High Guard, follow me! [transforms and retreats] |
„ |
| ~ Megatron being banished from Iacon alongside the High Guard, foreshadowing the millennia-long feud between him and Optimus Prime. |
Trivia[]
- A noticeable detail throughout the film consists of D-16's eye color changes, highlighting his decreasing morality as well as his descent into madness and tyranny.
- As a miner, they are a rusty yellow.
- After gaining the respect of the High Guard, they become more orange.
- And when he fatally shoots Orion by accident and gives in, they turn blood red.
- D-16/Megatron serves as a dark parallel to the following characters:
- Orion Pax/Optimus Prime: Both were Cybertronians were shunned by society for their lack of T-Cogs and eventually became leaders of their respective factions. They even wanted to take down Sentinel for his crimes and disillusioned with him when they learn of his betrayal. However, Optimus still remained hopeful that Iacon could be changed for the better and motivates his Autobots with hopes of a better future, and only want to just exposed Sentinels crimes to the public and imprison him instead. While Megatron was pessimistic and later became full of hatred towards the system after learning of Sentinel’s true nature and rallies his Decepticons with promises of vengeance and power, as well as only being satisfied if Sentinel was killed for good.
- To further this point, the movie ends with both Optimus and Megatron giving a speech to their troops, in which while Optimus still leads in the front, Megatron simply stands in the center while the Decepticons chant his battle cry.
- Additionally, Megatron orders his troops to "rise up", a direct reference to the taunt Sentinel used on him after mutilating his chest. This displays how instead of channeling his pain for reformative purposes, Megatron chose to become a tyrant just like Sentinel and forcibly mold society to his ideal image.
- Along with that, when they are doing their speeches, Megatron stands above all the High Guard to show his dominance, while Optimus kneels down to the miners in order to show they are equal.
- Overall, Megatron serves an example of what Orion/Optimus would have became if he never used his gifted powers responsibly and his vengeance against those who have wronged and belittle him get the better of him.
- Elita-1: Both were Cogless bots who were very strict to protocol and shown to have physical violence against those who have wronged them, as well as generally being ruffians when it comes to their manners. Additionally, both of them were very annoyed and fed up with Orion Pax's antics for breaking the rules to the point of expressing hatred for him interfering with their goals and for saving someone they didn't wanted to be saved (Elita when Orion got her fired by Darkwing which destroyed all of her progress of becoming supervisor all because Orion broke protocol to save Jazz's life and D when Orion refused to let him kill Sentinel for the horrid person he was and wanting to rebuild Iacon his own way) in addition to them throwing many insults at him because of his recklessness. However, Elita has enough restraint to readily redeem herself when she learns the truth and eventually starts to take a liking towards Orion despite still being a jerk to him when admiring his good traits to the point she was willing to risk her own life to save him from falling to his death, while D-16 refuses to change his ways and eventually was willing to betray Orion by letting him fall to his death as a last straw for getting in his way despite the fact Orion was his best friend. D serves an example of what kind of person Elita would have became if she refused to redeem herself and change for the better after learning the truth and let her meanness and anger towards Orion Pax consume her.
- B-127/Bumblebee: Both were Cogless bots who had no name and only had barcode numbers Instead (B-127 for B and D-16 for Megatron), and were both thrown down to Sub level 50 (Alongside Orion for D) when they were proven useless by Sentinel because of what they did. They also had little to no friends until they met Orion Pax and became his prominent best friend for many cycles. But unlike D-16, B never displayed any negative or vengeful attitude towards his friends like Orion or even Elita, especially when Elita told him to "talk less" and was willing to do what ever it takes to defend his friends at all costs, while D-16/Megatron eventually turn on his friends for not getting what he wanted and even tried to kill them because of it. If B never respected his friends for who they were, he would have been just like Megatron.
- Alpha Trion: Both he and D-16 were outraged when they found out that Sentinel was a traitor and really wanted him to pay for his horrid crimes. However, like Orion, Trion only wanted Sentinel defeated by having his lies exposed rather than killing him as it's not what the primes would have wanted until his death at the hands of Sentinel, while D-16/Megatron wanted Sentinel dead more than anything and was willing to destroy all of Iacon for everything Sentinel represents.
- Orion Pax/Optimus Prime: Both were Cybertronians were shunned by society for their lack of T-Cogs and eventually became leaders of their respective factions. They even wanted to take down Sentinel for his crimes and disillusioned with him when they learn of his betrayal. However, Optimus still remained hopeful that Iacon could be changed for the better and motivates his Autobots with hopes of a better future, and only want to just exposed Sentinels crimes to the public and imprison him instead. While Megatron was pessimistic and later became full of hatred towards the system after learning of Sentinel’s true nature and rallies his Decepticons with promises of vengeance and power, as well as only being satisfied if Sentinel was killed for good.
- Megatron was originally planned to be a gladiator as part of his origin, much like other versions, but this was later scrapped due to the limited runtime given for the film.
- During the Iacon 5000 race, D-16 told Orion Pax that he would kill him if they survived, foreshadowing their future betrayal and fall out.
- In the movie's novelization, it's stated that Megatron initially received Onyx Prime's cog before switching it out for Megatronus'.
- Onyx was famed for his foresight, intuition and ability to balance aggression with wisdom, this mirrored Megatron's short-sighted way of thinking and inability to foresee how his lust for revenge would cause a rift in Cybertronian society.
- It's possible that Alpha Trion specifically chose for D-16 to have Onyx's T-cog in the hopes that it would help D-16 temper and control his rage.
- The way Megatron kills Sentinel Prime is similar to how his Bayverse counterpart kills Jazz, with the only difference being that Sentinel's death is well-deserved, unlike Jazz, who was a scapegoat, tragic, and died with honor.
- In a concept storyboard, it would've been shown that D-16, instead of shooting Orion by accident after the latter blocked his shot from killing Sentinel, he shot him intentionally, and even hypocritically said "You made me this" that he made him do this.
- The scene where Megatron give a speech to the people after killing Sentinel Prime has become an Internet meme in the Transformers community, with many people making their own version of the speech.
- The scene where Alpha Trion reveals the truth to Orion Pax and his friends, there’s an interpretation of Orion’s and D’s reactions:
- Orion’s face reflects on how he already knew that the system was rotten since he was born, but he never expected that Sentinel Prime was the root cause of the suffering he and his fellow miners had endured, and after seeing that Sentinel is giving the Energon to the Quintessons, it gives him the clarity they need to stop Sentinel and reform the system that abused them to give equal treatment for his friends.
- Meanwhile, D-16’s face reflects on how he followed the system without question, believed in Sentinel’s propaganda and followed protocol, until he realized that he was helping a murderous fraud who sold out his planet and his people to give away their Energon to the Quintessons just for Sentinel to remain at the top. This makes his pessimism take a whole new turn and awakens his rage and hatred towards Sentinel and alongside with it, a desire to kill him and destroy everything he built.
- The difference between D and Orion's ideology can be seen by how they prefer to themselves:
- D use "me, I" showing that he only saw his problem as what that matter and believe that you have to take matter into your own hand, which is fitting for his ideology that one is always dominant over others.
- In contrast, Orion use "we, us", showing that he saw his problem as everyone's problem and believe the power of teamwork is what matters, which is fitting for his ideology that everyone are equal.
- Another difference to Optimus and Megatron is the strongest weapon they use: Megatron use a triple-barrel gun, a weapon solely for the sake of destruction, while Optimus use an axe, which is a weapon of destruction but also a tool used by worker, which is fitting that Megatron only wants to destroy, while Optimus wants to fight when necessary and rebuild the future.
- Their alt mode is also a difference between their ideology: Optimus is a truck, a vehicle used by workers to transport materials for the sake of building, while Megatron is a tank, a vehicle used only for the sake of destruction.
- If D-16 didn't become Megatron, then Sentinel's downfall wouldn't be possible due to:
- If him and Orion didn't got captured by the High Guard and instead having a proper conversation, this would have let to D's anger being subsided and he may abandoned his idea to kill Sentinel and become Megatron. However, if the High Guard didn't capture them, Airachnid would capture all of them instead, and because they have no help, they would all be framed as traitors and executed.
- If D didn't remain defiance toward Sentinel and get tortured by him, Orion wouldn't have enough time to rally the miners to join the fight, which would lead to the High Guard being outnumbered and wiped out.
- And finally, if D choose to help the group to capture Airachnid instead of fighting Sentinel by himself, Sentinel would have realize the group was going to use her to expose him, and would either save or kill her, and later them.
- Through the movie, there are shots of D's eyes turn red, either briefly or for a while. This foreshadow his slow but inevitable transformation into Megatron.
- This happens after the cave scene where he reveal his desire to kill Sentinel, so it can be interpreted that the moment he reveal his intention, was the moment that marked the death of D-16 and the birth of Megatron, especially since his actions only show traits of Megatron from that point onward.
- The fate of both him, Optimus and Sentinel are sealed the moment all of them kneeling:
- Megatron: His refusal to kneel down to Sentinel even when he's tortured earn him the respect of the High Guard.
- Sentinel: His kneeling toward the Quintessons destroy the respect he once has in the eye of the Iacon citizens.
- Optimus: His kneeling down to the miners earn him the respect from them.
- One can notice that D was so consumed by hatred and anger that he didn't even thought that Orion only stopped him from killing Sentinel and taking the shot to prevent his friend from being consumed by the darkness and because usurping a leader by killing them would leave behind a bad image, he instead misinterpret Orion's actions as him believing Sentinel's death wasn't deserved, which is something he consider the last straw that would cause him to drop his former friend to his death.
- Prior to learning the truth about Sentinel, D always refer to him as "Sentinel Prime", but he no longer does so after learning the truth and instead prefer to him as Sentinel only.
- His backstory of being a former miner rising to power is similar to his Aligned counterpart. Unlike the Aligned Megatron whose tragedy no longer hold up, this Megatron's tragedy still hold up. Their moral status are the exact opposite of each other: Aligned Megatron started out as a villain that ultimately redeem himself, while One Megatron started out as a hero that fall into villainy.
- Although it's true that Megatron's hatred toward the Primes is because of Sentinel Prime's actions, not only he still idolize Megatronus Prime, name himself after him, using his cog and face as the emblem of the Decepticons, but Sentinel wasn't even a Prime to begin with, as he only took this title for himself after killing them.
- Considering on what happened to him in the film, he’s the only miner who didn’t become an Autobot and the only one to become a villain.
- In one of the trailers, Optimus told him: "We could've built the future together." and then Megatron said: "I don't think so" but in the film, he says "I'd built it myself, once I tear down everyone IN MY WAY".
External Links[]
- D-16 on the Heroes Wiki.
- Megatron on the Transformers Wiki.
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 Villains
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Iacon City Government Quintessons Decepticons | ||