 ✓
| ||
|
This Villain was proposed and approved by Villains Wiki's Pure Evil Proposals Thread. Any act of removing this villain from the category without a Removal Proposal shall be considered vandalism (or a futile "heroic" attempt of redemption) and the user will have high chances of being | ||
| NOTE: This article is about Sentinel Prime from Transformers One. If you're looking for other versions, click here. |
|
| “ | Zeta Prime: Sentinel... why? Sentinel: For all the power of Cybertron. |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel's reason for betraying the Thirteen Primes. |
| “ | Oh, trust me, it'll be very true when I'm executing you in front of all of Iacon. Because down here... The truth is what I make it. | „ |
| ~ Sentinel insulting B-127 and showing his arrogance and ego that the "truth" is what he makes it. |
Sentinel, falsely known as Sentinel Prime, is the main antagonist of the 2024 animated science fiction action film Transformers One. Originally he was the former chief advisor of the Thirteen Primes, only to later betray and kill them all in an ambush, usurping the leadership of Cybertron as part of a bargain with the Quintessons. Consequently, this led to him taking the title of Prime from his former masters for himself.
Thereafter he served as the false ruler of Iacon City for 50 cycles, deceiving everyone who viewed him as a great leader. As a result of his actions, he serves as the main reason for D-16's descent into becoming the ruthless Decepticon leader known as Megatron which led to the main conflict of the franchise itself. He is also the boss of Airachnid, Darkwing and the Trackers and the arch-nemesis of D-16, Orion Pax and Alpha Trion, being the victim and corrupter of the former and the former aide and killer of the latter.
He was voiced by Jon Hamm, who also voiced Herb Overkill in Minions and Don Grouper in SpongeBob SquarePants, and portrayed Don Draper in Mad Men, Buddy in Baby Driver, Matthew Trent in Black Mirror and Reverend Richard Wayne in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Personality
| “ | Sentinel... is no Prime. | „ |
| ~ Alpha Trion describing Sentinel's true nature as a liar, a traitor, a false hero, a power-hungry tyrant, and an egotistical usurper. |
Initially, Sentinel was presented as a humble, kind-hearted and well-loved leader who was the living manifestation of peace and prosperity. He was also shown to be a courageous and encouraging leader, always praising the hard work of the miners who collected Energon. He was also respectful towards both Orion and D-16, after the two impressed him during the Iacon 5000 race event, and even personally thanked the two for inspiring the miners and invited them to his personal quarters so they can be patched up.
| “ | Sentinel is a liar. | „ |
| ~ Orion Pax revealing Sentinel's true self to his companion miners. |
However, it would all turn out to be a facade, as in truth, Sentinel was actually an utterly depraved, manipulative, vain, narcissistic, fraudulent, traitorous, tyrannical, cold, arrogant, egotistical, deceitful, black-sparked, and cruel usurper who willingly sold out his own race to the Quintessons to claim power for himself and giving away their Energon to the Quintessons. He was even willing to have the miners work triple shift to collect Energon, despite the high risk of them potentially dying. He also was aware of how much of a power-hungry monster he actually was, as he brags about wanting to be a king and have power over others. He had also showed sadistic tendencies, as he personally killed each Prime in cold blood and brutally carving Megatronus' insignia into D-16's chest with a blowtorch, simply to mock him and the memory of his idol hero, showing he has no remorse for others.
Sentinel lacked any form of empathy towards all other Cybertronians. He was also a bit cowardly, as not only he would routinely hide behind his troops instead of fight someone head-on, even when he was fully capable of holding his own in a fight, but would also pathetically beg for mercy when his life was threatened, as shown when the Quintessons torture him for not bringing them enough Energon. Ultimately, Sentinel ends up outing himself as a narcissistic usurper who cares for no one but himself and his reputation, as seen when he becomes terrified and shocked at seeing his crimes and confession being broadcast across Iacon, causing the Cybertronian population to turn against him when the citizens of Iacon calls Sentinel both a liar and a traitor.
Appearance
Sentinel was a tall Cybertronian. His body is primarily royal blue; with gold featured prominently as a secondary color, along; with several silver highlights and an unknown symbol on his forehead painted in yellowish-gold. His eyes were a bright shade of blue and he also had a golden set of wings mounted on his back, indicating his aerial alternate mode. After his actual colors were revealed, Sentinel had assumed a more combat-oriented battle form, where his feet permanently became thrusters, his wings had rearranged to reveal missile launchers and his arms became blasters well his head has a battle mask formed; by parts of his head and helmet.
His arm blasters are both different, as the right one can also can protrudes and takes the shape of a pincer. When deployed, the hand shrinks into a brysynchron and enters the cannon. Left arm sports a dual-barreled wrist shooter and an energon shield on it. Due to the shield's nature, it also sports a dual-barreled wrist shooter where the energon shield comes out, although both configurations can only be used separately.
Biography
Backstory
| “ | Alpha Trion: For thousands of cycles, the war with the Quintessons had been a brutal conflict. Until Sentinel, the principal aide to the Primes, intercepted an enemy transmission. There was going to be a secret gathering of Quintesson commanders. Their elimination could end the war. It was a mission so important, we Primes took it on ourselves. We agreed to meet Sentinel for his sensitive intel in secret, here in this cave. But we were not alone. [...] We were outnumbered, but stood as one. Our victory was near... until we were betrayed. Zeta Prime: Sentinel... why? Sentinel: For all the power of Cybertron. Alpha Trion: But Sentinel never understood the true power of what he desired. The Matrix of Leadership can only be wielded by one that Primus himself deems worthy. And Sentinel most certainly was not. Sentinel: NO!!!
|
„ |
| ~ Alpha Trion revealing Sentinel's true nature and intentions by disclosing how he killed the Thirteen Primes and indirectly caused the Matrix of Leadership to vanish. |
One of the first ever Cybertronians created by Primus, Sentinel served as the chief advisor to the original Thirteen Primes. This position earned him respect from his fellow Cybertronians, but Sentinel became increasingly power-hungry and envious of the Primes and their glories. In a bid for more influence, he arranged a secret meeting with Quintesson Commanders, which led the Primes to seek Sentinel's intel. However, this meeting was a trap set by the Quintessons, and in the ensuing conflict, Sentinel betrayed the Primes and played a role in their downfall, stabbing Nexus in the back and beheading Megatronus Prime when the Quintessons dogpiled him, then using Nexus' cannon to shoot Solus Prime into a rock before shooting Zeta Prime in the head. Before Sentinel could claim the Matrix of Leadership for himself, Primus deemed him unworthy of it due to his power-hungry and traitorous nature, causing the Matrix to vanish. Following this, he claimed the transformation cog of Megatronus for himself, which augmented his power to the level of the Primes. Only Alpha Trion managed to survive his greed, while the High Guard, the personal army serving the Primes, rejected him and his attempts to claim power, and went into hiding on the surface after witnessing Sentinel's betrayal as he slaughtered the Primes. They continued to fight in the shadows, working to sabotage Sentinel, as they came to believe that might makes right instead of unifying all of Cybertron.
After his initial attempt to seize power failed, Sentinel relocated Cybertronian society underground and established a new regime, arrogantly claiming the title of Prime for himself. He converted all existing Cybertronians to be his followers, with the exception of the High Guard, who continued to oppose him from the shadows. To consolidate his power, Sentinel removed the transformation cogs from all future Cybertronians before they could come online, stripping them of their species' natural ability to transform. This ensured that their only purpose was to mine for Energon to satisfy the Quintessons. To further conceal his actions, Sentinel permitted only his loyal followers to surface in search of the Matrix, hoping to solidify his rule as Prime. Any miners who disobeyed or acted out of line faced severe punishment to deter rebellion. Additionally, on his trips to the surface, Sentinel sought out the High Guard to capture them.
Transformers One
After another secret meeting with the Quintessons and failing to find the Matrix once more, Sentinel returned to Iacon to announce his failure before announcing the upcoming Iacon 5000, where bots who could transform would race to show their stuff, and gave all working Cogless bots the day off to see it. During the race, Sentinel noticed two miners named Orion Pax and D-16 using jetpacks to compete as racers. The two lose the race and are taken to Sentinel to face repercussions for their recklessness, only for Sentinel to congratulate them for their efforts, offering them higher positions in return. However, he soon leaves to go out and find the Matrix once more, and the pair were assigned to waste management by one of Sentinel's enforcers Darkwing.
Unbeknownst to Sentinel, Orion, D-16, the newly recruited B-127/Bee, and Elita-1 (Orion and D's former mining chief) would find a distress beacon from Alpha Trion, and eventually make their way to the surface to locate him via coordinates on the beacon and they soon end up learning the truth about him after locating Alpha and seeing him giving some Energon to the Quintessons, who came to the planet to collect them as part of their arrangement with Sentinel. When the Energon presented proves to be inadequate, the Quintesson High Commander nearly tears apart Sentinel, who talks him out of it by promising to get more Energon by extending the miners' work hours to meet their demand. However, Sentinel's second-in-command, Airachnid, ends up sensing the main quartet of bots and warns Sentinel of their presence.
Soon, Sentinel and his forces locate them in Alpha Trion's cave, but the four bots (who were given Cogs to transform and a chip containing evidence of Sentinel's treason by Trion) manage to escape while Alpha stays behind to hold off their forces to buy them some time. Trion is taken back to Sentinel at Iacon and starts to intimidate Alpha Trion and makes fun of him to sell out the bots, but Alpha Trion angrily scolds and rebukes him every step of the way, warning Sentinel that he will end up failing. Fed up with this, Sentinel kills Alpha Trion and orders Airachnid to locate the four bots, which they eventually do when they find them in a hidden area on the surface where the High Guard has been hiding. With that in mind, Airachnid and the Death Trackers manage to lay down an ambush, killing several of the High Guard members and destroying the chip with the evidence of Sentinel's crimes. Airachnid and the Death Trackers seize the opportunity to capture half of the surviving High Guard members (including D-16, Starscream, and B-127) and take them to Iacon, while leaving the other half of the High Guard (including Orion, Elita-1, Soundwave and Shockwave) for dead.
Delighted that the High Guard is finally captured, Sentinel mocks them for their fruitless attempts to expose him. Sentinel, as part of his next move to cover his tracks, makes up a false story that D-16, B-127, and the High Guard members are traitors plotting with the Quintessons, and that he plans to execute them all in front of all of Iacon. He insults B-127 for calling out this lie and shows his arrogance by claiming "the truth" is what he makes it to be. When D-16, who has been feeling embittered and utterly enraged from Sentinel's corruption ever since he learned of it, stands his ground against the evil tyrant, to which an unmoved Sentinel retaliates by burning the symbol of D-16's favorite Prime, Megatronus, onto his chest and reveals that after he murdered Megatronus, he stole the Prime's Cog for himself. When D-16 gets back up even after the torture, Sentinel decides to kill him right then and there. However, Airachnid soon learns too late that Orion, Elita, Soundwave, Shockwave, and the rest of the High Guard have survived the ambush and formulated their own ambush on Sentinel's tower, allowing Soundwave to free the rest of the prisoners (including D-16, Starscream, and B-127). Orion and Elita-1 then take the opportunity to capture Airachnid and use her memory banks as substitute evidence with help from B-127. Despite Sentinel putting up a fight against D-16, the truth soon gets exposed to all of Iacon as Orion and Elita-1 broadcast Airachnid's memory banks, and all of the bots who used to look up to Sentinel turn on him for his deception and treachery. All Sentinel can do is watch in shock and defeated silence as the respect he had wormed his way into getting is now all gone, and his empire is in ruins as the citizens of Iacon take out their anger towards Sentinel, calling him a liar and a traitor before rioting against him.
Unfortunately, this would not be the end of Sentinel's problems as D-16, still burning with anger over Sentinel's betrayal, tackles him, which causes Sentinel to activate his flying abilities to escape, but D-16 manages to guide him onto a building where he tears off Sentinel's wings and uses his Fusion Cannon to further cripple Sentinel, stopping him from escaping. Seeing no way out, Sentinel pathetically and cowardly begs D-16 to spare his life, offering him a chance to rule Cybertron alongside him, but D-16 angrily refuses to listen. Before D-16 can kill Sentinel with his Fusion Cannon, Orion intervenes, telling the vengeful D-16 that killing Sentinel will not make anything better, but D-16 still refuses to listen and tries to kill Sentinel regardless, though Orion gets in the way of the Fusion Cannon and becomes heavily damaged as he is about to fall off the building, losing his left arm in the process. D-16 becomes horrified at first and rushes to save him, but his entire suppressed rage comes out, and he decides to let Orion fall into the planet's center to die.
Moments after Orion's presumed demise, D-16 turns his rage back to Sentinel as the latter attempts to crawl away to safety due to his injuries. D-16 angrily charges at Sentinel just as his remaining Trackers arrive to try and protect him, only for D-16 to brutally defeat them all with ease before he eventually grabs Sentinel and lifts him up with his bare hands to prevent the false Prime from getting away. Sentinel then screams in agony as a furious D-16 brutally tears his body in half, killing him as a result - thus avenging the deaths of the Thirteen Primes (including Alpha Trion and Megatronus Prime). As Sentinel dies, his corpse loses its color, confirming that he was never a Prime in the first place. D-16 then removed Megatronus Prime's cog out of Sentinel's chest.
Legacy
Shortly after Sentinel's death, D-16 fully embraces his darkest impulses and reincarnates himself as "Megatron"; his first act is to swipe the pilfered cog of Megatronus Prime for himself to enhance his body, up to divine levels in doing so, and orders the High Guard to destroy everything Sentinel built, therefore causing mass chaos and destruction in his wake without any hesitation or caring about innocent casualties.
But Orion gets reborn and is given the Matrix of Leadership by the spirit of the founder of Cybertron, Primus, who repairs and enhances Orion as Optimus Prime. With his new-found powers, Optimus rises back to the surface and manages to stop Megatron and the High Guard before exiling them from Iacon for their war crimes.
In the end, Sentinel's reputation and name would forever be soured in Cybertronian history, transforming from a respected leader to a figure of treason and tyranny, for his service to the Quintessons. Following his demise, Optimus would subsequently abolish his former policies and rebuild Cybertronian society, rebranding all the miners as the Autobots in honor of their newly earned autonomy so that they can stand against the Quintessons. But unfortunately, Sentinel's machinations and greed have turned Megatron for the worst, with the former miner permanently denouncing all Primes (except for Megatronus) and rebranding the former High Guard as the Decepticons. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, even in death, Sentinel's actions has sowed the seeds of the infamous Great War of Cybertron, robbing the planet of any form of peace and prosperity for the next millennia.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Cybertronian Physiology: As a Cybertronian, Sentinel possesses numerous enhanced abilities due to his mechanical nature. Once he acquired Megatronus Prime's unique cog, Sentinel became much stronger, with much of his body being further enhanced, especially his weapons, which upgraded to firing from his legs and shoulders rapid-fire variant, putting him on a level equal to that of the Primes.
- Superhuman Strength: Sentinel's physical strength far exceeds that of ordinary Cybertronians, allowing him to overpower most opponents with ease.
- Superhuman Durability: His body is highly resistant to damage, making him capable of withstanding heavy attacks and harsh environments without sustaining significant injury.
- Superhuman Speed: Sentinel moves with exceptional speed, outpacing most Cybertronians and performing swift maneuvers in battle.
- Superhuman Agility: Despite his size, Sentinel exhibits remarkable agility, allowing him to perform complex movements and dodge attacks with precision.
- Superhuman Stamina: He can operate for extended periods without tiring, making him highly effective in prolonged combat scenarios.
- Superhuman Reflexes: Sentinel's advanced reflexes enable him to react to threats in a fraction of a second, giving him an edge in fast-paced battles.
- Flight: Sentinel has rocket thrusters/jet boosters on his feet, allowing him to fly. Sentinel also has wings that he uses to fly, and with some boosters on his feet allow him to fly more stable and faster due to the speed and balances when he fly because of the wings. The color of the booster's flames is purple, due to Megatronus' cog.
- Longevity: Like all Cybertronians, Sentinel can live for millions of years, making him nearly ageless and able to withstand the passage of time without physical degradation.
- Super Mode: Similar to his anime (and lesser extent, IDW) counterparts, Sentinel can access a super mode, which grants him extra firepower, agility, and durability. He also manifest more weapons in this mode.
- Transformation: Sentinel can turn into a Cybertronian jet, allowing him to fly at extreme speeds. Sentinel can manifest various weapons from his body, including arm cannons, his primax blade, and energon shield. His right arm turns into a blaster, which he uses in combat such as when his penthouse is attacked or for mundane use like when starting the Iacon 5000. His left arm, sports a dual-barreled wrist shooter and an energon shield comes out. He is also able to store his weapons as his primax blade that is foldable, so the blades can become compact. It is possible that many of Sentinel's weapons came from Megatronus' cog, after he inserted it into his body.
Abilities
- Master Combatant: Sentinel is a highly skilled fighter, proficient in various forms of combat, from hand-to-hand to advanced weaponry. His experience and battle-hardened nature make him a formidable opponent in any fight.
- Master Swordsman: His proficiency with swords is unmatched, allowing him to wield his blade with precision, speed, and lethal effectiveness.
- Master Leader: Despite his tyrannical nature, Sentinel is a master strategist and leader, able to manipulate, command, and inspire others to follow him—whether through respect or fear. His cunning leadership was instrumental in his rise to power.
Weaknesses
- Egotism: Despite his cunning, Sentinel's biggest weakness was his own ego. His focus on his overblown sense of self-worth means that his shamelessness regarding his sadism and cruelty unwittingly provided numerous files of evidence of his vile deeds through Airachnid's memory banks. Additionally, the realization that his cover's finally been blown made him immediately cease an attack, giving D-16 the opening he needed to finish him off. Sentinel also tends to favor indulging in his sadism and drawing it out over long periods of time, meaning that he unwittingly gives his opponents a bigger opening to attack whenever he does so. In the end, his words; "The truth is what I make it," ultimately bite him, making him sound right out of context, and it was ultimately foolish to think otherwise that no one would ever know who he truly was.
- Cowardice: For all of his boasting, Sentinel is a bit cowardly. When faced with an opponent he knows is superior, he will attempt to beg for mercy, as shown when he was speaking with the Quintesson High Commander and later D-16 when he was left defenseless. Additionally, despite his skill, Sentinel's tactics mainly involve sneak attacks and overwhelming bombardments from a safe distance, with his overreliance on such strategies lowering his overall combat efficiency.
Equipment
- Primax Blade: Although it was never named in the film, Sentinel carries a double-bladed blade that is foldable, the blades can become compact. He used this to kill several of the Primes like Nexus Prime and Megatronus Prime. He also used this to kill Alpha Trion.
- Blaster: Sentinel can turn his right arm into a blaster, which he uses in combat such as when his penthouse is attacked or for mundane use like when starting the Iacon 5000. And also the arm sleeve can protrudes and takes the shape of a pincer, which catches D-16's fist. When deployed, the hand shrinks into a brysynchron and enters the cannon.
- Dual-Barreled Wrist Shooter/Energon Shield: Sentinel sports a dual-barreled wrist shooter on his left arm and an energon shield on it, as it can be seen used during the fight with D-16 inside his tower, withstand D-16's fusion cannon. This energon shield appears to be the same as Nexus Prime, the first of the Primes he murdered by backstabbing and taking his blaster to kill the others. Due to the shield's nature, it also sports a dual-barreled wrist shooter where the energon shield comes out, although both configurations can only be used separately.
- Missile Launchers/Shoulder Cannons: Sentinel is able to deploy four missile launchers on both of his legs and two shoulder cannons, which he fires it into Orion Pax, D-16, Elita One, and B-127 on the same time.
- Megatronus Prime's Cog: After killing Megatronus Prime, Sentinel took Megatronus' cog for himself but didn't reach its full power. Megatronus' cog was soon claimed by D-16 after killing Sentinel.
- Battle Mask: Sentinel has a mask that unfolds by lowering the helmet during combat, and is similar in shape to the helmets worn by pilots. His battle mask also provides extra protection against D-16.
- Jet Boosters: Sentinel has boosters on his feet, allowing him to fly. The color of its flames is purple.
- Wings: Sentinel has wings that he uses to fly, and with some boosters on his feet that makes him to fly more stable and faster due to the speed and balances when he fly because of the wings.
Relationships
Allies
- The Thirteen Primes:
- Zeta Prime †
- Prime Prime †
- Alchemist Prime †
- Alpha Trion †
- Amalgamous Prime †
- Liege Maximo †
- Megatronus Prime †
- Micronus Prime †
- Nexus Prime †
- Onyx Prime †
- Quintus Prime †
- Solus Prime †
- Vector Prime †
- The High Guard:
- Starscream
- Soundwave
- Shockwave
- Skywarp
- Thundercracker
- Dirge
- Ramjet
- Thrust
- Slipstream
- Redwing
- Nova Storm
- Acid Storm
- Blitzwing
- Bitstream
- Orion Pax
- D-16 - All Formerly.
- Iacon City Government:
- Airachnid - Right-hand and henchwoman
- Darkwing - Subordinate
- Trackers - Henchmen
- Guards
- Ratchet (Medical Doctor of Iacon; Formerly)
- Iacon 5000 Racers: (dismissed and formerly)
- Chromia
- Cliffjumper
- Mirage
- Override
- High Beam
- Road Rocket
- Cosmos
- Silverbolt
- Powerglide
- Afterburner
- Blurr
- Fireflight
- Hot Rod
- Inferno
- Leadfoot
- Lightspeed
- Scattershot
- Skyfire
- Slingshot
- Strafe
- Swerve
- Tailgate
- Windblade
- Thunderglide
- Behemoth
- Swindle
- Motormaster
- Breakdown
- Jolt
- Tankor
- Tailwind
- Deadend
- JetStorm
- Greasepit
- Kup
- Staxx
- Ricochet
- Clampdown
- Blowout
- Double Clutch
- Meanstreak
- Speedstream
- Dragstrip
- Cordon
- Spinout
- Quintessons:
- Quintesson High Commander - Superior
Enemies
- D-16 - Arch-nemesis, corruption victim, attempted victim and killer
- Orion Pax - Heroic counterpart and attempted victim
- Elita-1 - Attempted victim
- B-127 - Attempted victim
- Miners - Slaves and attempted victims, through work in the mines
- Wheeljack
- Ironhide
- Jazz
- Arcee
- Sideswipe
- Sunstreacker
- Brawn
- Hound
- Red Alert
- Bluestreak
- Prowl
- Smokescreen
- Windcharger
- Huffer
- Moonracer
- Firestar
- Unnamed Miners
- The Thirteen Primes: (Former masters and victims)
- Zeta Prime †
- Prima Prime †
- Alchemist Prime †
- Alpha Trion † - Third arch-nemesis and heroic counterpart
- Amalgamous Prime †
- Liege Maximo †
- Megatronus Prime †
- Micronus Prime †
- Nexus Prime †
- Onyx Prime †
- Quintus Prime †
- Solus Prime †
- Vector Prime †
- The High Guard: (Former subordinates and attempted victims)
- Starscream
- Soundwave
- Shockwave
- Skywarp
- Thundercracker
- Dirge
- Ramjet
- Slipstream
- Redwing
- Nova Storm
- Acid Storm
- Blitzwing
- Bitstream
- Cybertronians: (Former admirers)
- Chromia
- Cliffjumper
- Canopy
- Ratchet
- Mirage
- Override
- High Beam
- Road Rocket
- Cosmos
- Stormreign
- Silverbolt
- Powerglide
- Afterburner
- Blurr
- Fireflight
- Hot Rod
- Inferno
- Leadfoot
- Lightspeed
- Scattershot
- Skyfire
- Slingshot
- Strafe
- Swerve
- Tailgate
- Windblade
- Thunderglide
- Behemoth
- Swindle
- Motormaster
- Breakdown
- Jolt
- Tankor
- Tailwind
- Deadend
- JetStorm
- Greasepit
- Kup
- Staxx
- Ricochet
- Clampdown
- Blowout
- Double Clutch
- Meanstreak
- Speedstream
- Dragstrip
- Cordon
- Spinout
- Other unnamed Cybertronians
Quotes
| “ | Sentinel Prime: Is it on? Okay, thank you. Hello, my friends. Hello, Iacon City! Hello to our saviors, the industrious miners who toil selflessly to maintain our Energon reserves. I celebrate you. D-16: Humility and presence! That's leadership! Ah! Nobody does it better! Sentinel Prime: Once again, I have narrowly returned with my fleet after another treacherous expedition across the desolate, dangerous surface of our planet. I departed with hopes of finding the Matrix of Leadership, the key to bringing balance to Cybertron. I regret to inform you that we've returned empty-handed. This is a setback, but not a failure. Rest assured, I will find the Matrix of Leadership, so that Energon can flow again. But that's in the future. Right now, I think we all deserve a little fun! Tomorrow, there will be no work. All shifts off because tomorrow is the Iacon 5000! D-16: Whoo! Whoo-hoo! Sentinel Prime: My favorite event. A high-octane race all across Iacon City. Let's all see which competitor can prove they are truly more than meets the eye. |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel returning to Iacon City and informs his speech to them after his journey on the surface to "search" for the Matrix of Leadership and announced that tomorrow will be Iacon 5000, also his first words. |
| “ | Announcer: And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The Icon of Iacon! The savior of Cybertron! Quintessons fear him, but we love him! Our leader, the one, and only... Sentinel Prime! Arcee: I love you, Sentinel! Sentinel Prime: Yes! It feels so good to be here with you all today. My friends. My Cybertronian family. It has been precisely fifty cycles since the Quintessons attacked our home. Fifty cycles since we lost the Matrix of Leadership and our energon supply dried up. Fifty cycles since the battle that killed the other Primes, my brothers and sisters in arms. Today, we honor the Primes who gave their lives for ours and we show them that the strength of Cybertron will never be diminished. Racers, on your marks. |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel delivering his patriotic speech and honoring the deaths of the Primes before the Iacon 5000 starts, also foreshadowing his true nature. |
| “ | I'm sorry, are those miners in the race? | „ |
| ~ Sentinel being confused as he notices both Orion and D-16 joining the Iacon 5000 race. |
| “ | 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! |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel congratulating both Orion and D-16 for their participation in the Iacon 5000 inspired other miners before leaving for another secret meeting with the Quintessons. |
| “ | Sentinel Prime: Keep your eyes open. Airachnid: They always are. |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel and Airachnid before bowing down to the Quintesson High Commander. |
| “ | I know what I promised you! But our mines, they're running out! There's barely enough Energon for us! I swear, I will get you the rest! | „ |
| ~ Sentinel begs the Quintesson High Commander as he's being tortured by him as a threat. |
| “ | Triple time every mining shift! No miner gets a break until I get my Energon! All of it! Let's go! | „ |
| ~ Sentinel ordering to triple the miners' workload without giving them breaks until he could get more Energon. |
| “ | Sentinel Prime: Alpha Trion! You are still alive! Would you look at that. You look… horrible. Alpha Trion: Traitor... you are a disgrace... Primus will surely- Sentinel Prime: Uh huh, yes, shut up. I seized an opportunity to take control of my future. Anything to get out of working for you and that boring council of elders. Seriously, I would watch you Primes spend half the day losing the war, and the other half sitting around waxing poetic about loyalty and honor! And now look at you. Alpha Trion: Hear my words! You will fall... and a new Prime will rise--! Sentinel Prime: There you go again. I don't want to listen to any more speeches. There were others in the cave with you. Who are they? Alpha Trion: They are to be your undoing. You've lost, Sentinel. Nothing you can do- Sentinel Prime: (stabs him with his sword) Urgh, didn't I just say no speeches? You heard me, right? This is what I'm talking about, unbelievable! All of them are like that! So disrespectful! (sighs) Okay, hunt down the others. Airachnid: With pleasure. |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel Prime confronting Alpha Trion before coldly executing him, then ordering Airachnid to track down Orion, D-16, Elita-1 and B-127. |
| “ | B-127: I don't understand. Why are we still alive? Sentinel: Look at this rowdy bunch... the High Guard! You know, you guys have been tough to find; every trip to the surface, I've been searching for you... Airachnid: Tracking the bots in the cave led me right to them. Sentinel: Oh, you captured Starscream! Airachnid: It was too easy. Starscream: (distorted voice) I'M GONNA RIP YOU APART, PIECE BY PIECE, SO THAT YOUR DEATH IS PAINFUL! And you'll regret the day you went... Sentinel: Ho ho ho ho! You sound ridiculous! It's weird. Oh, D-16, what a tragic story you'll be: atop the leaderboard in your sector, and secretly a traitor. D-16: I'm not the traitor. You're the traitor! Sentinel: Nuh uh! You, all of you, are traitors. You've been working with the Quintessons to sabotage my expeditions. You're the reason why I haven't found the Matrix of Leadership yet. B-127: None of that is true! Sentinel: Oh, trust me, it'll be very true when I'm executing you in front of all of Iacon. Because down here, the truth is what I make it. (D-16 stands up to Sentinel) 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 wanna 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 the Megatronus Prime's decal on D-16's arm) Sentinel: Oh, Megatronus Prime. Of course you’re 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. |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel planning to execute D-16, B-127, Starscream, and the High Guard after capturing them, framing them as "traitors" before D-16 stands up to him and sadistically confesses to him that he took Megatronus' T-Cog after murdering him, and carving Megatronus' face on D-16's chest. |
| “ | Sentinel: Not a good idea. B-127: D, stay down. (D-16 stands back up to Sentinel) Sentinel: Well, that's a shame. You really were a great miner. |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel preparing to kill D-16 when the latter defied him. |
| “ | D-16: Where's Sentinel? Sentinel: You pathetic little twits! Did you really think that you could knock down everything I've built?! Orion: It's over Sentinel! You can't escape the truth! Sentinel: What truth? That I plucked the cogs from your newborn chests?! Forced you to mine so that I could pay off the Quintessons and live like a king?! None of that matters! (transforms into his battle mode) Because the truth... is... what... I... MAKE IT! |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel's villainous breakdown as he prepares to engage Orion Pax, D-16, Elita-1, and B-127, also the same quote that exposed his true nature to everyone in Iacon. |
| “ | What's wrong, D-16? Rise up! | „ |
| ~ Sentinel mocking D-16 and attempting to murder him yet again, unknowingly giving the latter his mantra. |
| “ | That's why after I killed him... I took his cog for myself... What truth? That I plucked the cogs from your newborn chests? Forced you to mine so I can pay off the Quintessons and live like a king?... I'm working my miners as hard as I can, I swear I will get you the rest! (Sentinel looks outside in shock as Pax, B-127, and Eltia expose his crimes while the crowd gasped in horror witness Sentinel's true nature) Miner #1: LIAR! (The Miners stand against Sentinel for his treachery) Miner #2: We trusted you! Cybertronian #1: TRAITOR! Elita-1: Pax, we did it. |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel as his crimes are exposed to all of Iacon City by Orion Pax, Elita-1 and B-127, while Sentinel hears and realizes he is exposed. |
| “ | D-16, we can lead Cybertron together! Don't do this! | „ |
| ~ Sentinel's last words as he cowardly begs D-16 for mercy before the latter rips him apart to his death. |
Trivia
- In the film Sentinel takes various pieces inspiration from his previous counterparts and other characters:
- His body structure, double sided glaive, shield and power hungry and treacherous nature were inspired by his Bayverse counterpart.
- Sentinel's gold and royal blue color scheme as well as his arrogant and narcissistic nature is based on his 2007 Transformers Animated counterpart, (with whom he shares his Japanese voice actor Junichi Suwabe). Coincidentally, the cancelled fourth season of the animated show would've had its version of Sentinel become a primary antagonist due to being manipulated by Megatron.
- His armed battle mode was inspired by his IDW comics version.
- Sentinel being a false Prime and a cohort with the Quintessons is likely a reference to his Aligned continuity counterpart, however, unlike that version where he was an unwilling puppet of the Quintessons that breaks free from his masters to save the Cybertronians, this version is a willing servant of the Quintessons and remains pragmatically loyal to them.
- Sentinel Prime is similar to the Fallen, as in this continuity, he is the one who betrayed and killed the Primes, unlike in many versions in which it was Megatronus Prime who betrayed the Primes and became "The Fallen".
- The Sentinel Prime in this movie is the third version of Sentinel Prime to be adapted to a villain, the first being his IDW comics version and the second being his Bayverse counterpart.
- Ironically, this version of Sentinel Prime is noticeably much more evil than his live-action counterpart is. This is due to the Bayverse Sentinel Prime genuinely believing that his actions would at least save Cybertron (even if it's for a selfish purpose and his questionable actions), while this version of Sentinel Prime has no such noble intention, did everything only for the sake of his own power and is unsympathetic toward everyone else around him, while also stripping away the cogs of newborn people, a vile action that was never done by his live-action counterpart.
- Despite being the main antagonist of the movie, Sentinel has limited interaction with Orion Pax (the film's main protagonist) after he is revealed to be evil, not even meeting or fighting the latter after Orion became Optimus Prime due to being killed by D-16, with the only time they fully interact with each other after Orion got his cog from Alpha Trion was when Orion called out Sentinel for all the lies he brought on Cybertron before the latter mocked him and his friends about it when he prepared to attack them in super mode. With the addition to his villainy being personal to the film's deuteragonist, D-16/Megatron, due to it being the reasoning for him becoming the villain he is today.
- He is also not associated with Autobots or Decepticons in any way (since these groups were not around during his reign, However he would be responsible for those groups existing in the first place because of his actions) and he was never Optimus' mentor/true predecessor, nor was he his rival or had any relationship to him or Elita-1.
- Despite being shown through most of his transformable merchandise, Sentinel never transforms at any point in the film. This is another polar opposite to the miners' situation, as instead of remaining in robot mode because they lack the ability to transform, Sentinel only remains in robot mode solely due to his overwhelming vanity.
- It is also symbolic as Sentinel is out of touch with his people and he also had trouble transforming his arm into a blaster when he decided to personally execute D-16.
- Also due to D-16 becoming stronger with Megatronus' cog, it was shown that Megatronus was noticeably very huge and bulky, while Sentinel is much more slender and small in his proportions, even in his Super Mode. Meanwhile, D-16 always had a bulkier body type, especially when he got his cog. It's possible that Sentinel's body type was simply incorrect to handle Megatronus' cog, while D-16 (now Megatron) had the correct body type for Megatronus' cog. This could prove that Sentinel had trouble transforming while he had Megatronus' cog, which is also proven when he attempted to kill D when he was chained up.
- This is made more evident by the fact that during the flashback scene where Alpha Trion uses his telekinesis powers to show the four protagonists of how Sentinel betrayed him and his fellow Primes, Sentinel's body is practically the same as how he's shown throughout the whole movie even before he slaughtered Megatronus and took his cog, unlike D-16/Megatron who had a completely different Cogged form before claiming Megatronus’ cog for himself after killing the false Prime.
- Sentinel serves as a dark counterpart to Optimus Prime, as they both wanted to be more than what they were by trying to be up in the higher ranks; Orion by trying to participate in the Iacon 5000 and Sentinel by betraying and killing all of the Thirteen Primes. However, Orion only did it for his mining kind to prove to the bots that they are "more than meets the eye", has always had good intentions, and had great care for his friends (especially D-16, even after the latter became Megatron), while Sentinel had selfish and petty motives just have Cybertron all for himself and had no care for anyone (even his own minions) but himself. If Orion had never meet D-16 and let his own self-interest get the better of him when gifted the will and power to change his world, he would have been just like Sentinel.
- Additionally, Optimus was a low-born Cybertronian who never dreamed of becoming a Prime, and yet his desire to help others ultimately earned him the Matrix of Leadership. In contrast, Sentinel was a high-ranking Cybertronian, second only to the 13 Primes, who cared only for himself and was willing to murder his superiors and steal the Matrix only to fail, and has held the false title of Prime for many years.
- Also, Optimus was very good at giving heroic speeches and is always genuine about them. Sentinel, on the other hand, dislikes speeches and is very dishonest when giving them.
- Sentinel's demise is similar to Jazz's from the 2007 Transformers film, the first installment of the Bayverse Transformers films, as both Jazz and Sentinel were killed by Megatron in a similar fashion. However, while Jazz's death is tragic and played for sympathy as others (including Optimus) mourned for him, Sentinel's death was well-deserved due to his horrific crimes and treachery.
- Sentinel's death has become an internet meme in the Transformers community, with people often refer to him as "Jazzed" or "getting the Jazz treatment" due to how similar his death is to the Bayverse Jazz's death.
- In the scene where he captured D-16 and the High Guard, it was originally intended for him to execute some by shooting them, but it was cut for being too dark. Along with that, there was a deleted scene where it would feature Sentinel cutting Alpha Trion's head onscreen.
- Sentinel showcases all the 7 Deadly Sins through the movie:
- Pride: He was motivated by his own belief that he's superior to everyone else. He believed himself as Cybertron's rightful ruler, and dismisses others, mocking those that disagree with him, and even willing to betray his own kind while surrendering himself to their worst enemies.
- Greed: He values wealth and power over anything else. Everything he has done, like killing the Primes, allying with the Quintessons, and letting his own people die in hazardous mining caves was for his own selfish interests.
- Sloth: He neglects his responsibilities as a leader, allowing Cybertron and its people to slowly die while he himself lives in luxury. Additionally, he never tries to transform into his alt mode (not counting his battle mode) at any point in the story; either in battle or in transportation, and always remains in robot mode, showcasing his laziness and hypocrisy.
- Wrath: Some of his actions like killing Alpha Trion for giving a speech, showing that it's not hard to make him angry. His anger also come from the fact that he's unable to take criticism.
- Envy: His reasons to betray the Primes and killing them was because he was jealous of their high authority.
- Gluttony: To maintain his luxury life, he was shown to not be hesitant to not only deplete Cybertron of its resource, but also letting people to work to death. He also tried to take the Matrix of Leadership for himself to boost his own power and than later with Megatronus' cog when the former backfired on him.
- Lust: He harbors an insatiable desire for control, recognition, and acclaim, indulging in each to the fullest extent and was obsessed with Matrix’s power.
- Sentinel's true nature, as well as him being a false Prime, is foreshadowed by:
- Through the first half of the movie, there are group shots of the Primes. It's a bit hard, but should one notice, they'll realize Sentinel is not among them.
- While these are supposed to be memorials (which mean they're only for Primes that have died and Sentinel was still alive at that moment), Sentinel is also not shown in the archive footage Orion watch at the start of the movie.
- While the movies never directly stated that there are Thirteen Primes, any veteran of the franchise could knew that there are only Thirteen Primes, and they are all in the group shots, which make Sentinel's absence even more suspicious, especially since he constantly talks about them like he's one of them.
- Sentinel's rocket boots and weapons produce purple flames, which is off for his blue and gold color schemes. This is because he's using Megatronus Prime's cog, which he got from killing him and ripping it away from him, and his cog produced the same color.
- His subordinates, such as Darkwing and the Archive Guards, were already positioned them in a bad/villainous light before his reveal, with the addition to Airachnid's introduction being portrayed in a sinister tone when scanning Orion and D in the waiting room to see if they were threats. likely a foreshadowing that they would be serving the real big bad of the movie.
- Airachnid's design also foreshadows Sentinel's true nature, as her design is mostly black, a color that is associated with malevolent characters in most media.
- Through the first half of the movie, there are group shots of the Primes. It's a bit hard, but should one notice, they'll realize Sentinel is not among them.
- The Primes are shown to possess a great level of bravery and courage, as they would fight back even with the odds were against them. Sentinel, in contrast, is cowardly, as he not only kneels down to the Quintessons, but also pleas D-16 for mercy after being crippled by him. This ultimately proves that Sentinel is a false Prime, as he lacked the most basic virtue that a Prime needs to have.
- Also, the Primes would sacrifice themselves for the sake of other beings, while Sentinel did the exact opposite: He would sacrifice other beings for the sake of himself.
- When using Nexus Prime's gun, Sentinel can only fire it one ray at a time, as opposed to Nexus who can fire it in a continuous beam. It is possible that the gun is designed so only a Prime can use it at max power (possibly only Nexus himself can), and since Sentinel isn't a Prime, it make sense that he can't use the gun at max power.
- Indeed, upon his death, Sentinel's corpse can be seen losing its color, as opposed to the Primes who maintain their colors on death, further confirming that he was never a Prime in the first place.
- When Airachnid's memories of Sentinel's memories are being broadcast, the line: "I'm working my miners as hard as I can." was heard but Sentinel never said it earlier during his meeting with Quintessons, although it can be assumed that this was said to a prior meeting before the one witnessed by the heroes.
- The fate of him, Optimus and Megatron are sealed the moment all of them knelt:
- Sentinel: Him kneeling towards the Quintessons destroyed any and all respect that Cybertron once had for him.
- Optimus: Him kneeling down to the miners to show they were still equals earned him their respect.
- Megatron: His refusal to kneel down to Sentinel even when he's tortured granted him the High Guard's loyalty.
- Given by how there's no one outside of the High Guard who was born before Sentinel's betrayal and never followed him, this could mean one of two things: Either Sentinel slaughtered all of them en-masse, or he offered them to the Quintessons as a down payment. Regardless of which, it would mean Sentinel also committed genocide.
- While they do have their fans, the main antagonists of previous theatrical Transformers films were usually criticized for either being one-note, generic, underused, or completely mishandled. By contrast, this version of Sentinel Prime has been overwhelmingly praised as not only a highly effective villain, but a well-written and executed character only elevated by the actor's performance.
- Ironically, Sentinel's most loyal enforcer, Airachnid, is indirectly responsible for his downfall because if Airachnid didn't intimidate Orion with her ability to see everything, then Orion wouldn't be able to come up with the idea to use her memories as a replacement to the destroyed recordings to expose Sentinel's crimes.
- Sentinel is hardly seen in any of the trailers for the film, apart from the scene where the Quintesson High Commander tortures him for not giving it more energon in the first two trailers, or the scene where he, D-16, Orion Pax, and Airachnid all laugh in the waiting room in the final trailer, likely to hide spoilers that he would be the film's main antagonist.
- Sentinel's dictatorship can be comparable to that of King Leopold II, as both are known to force hard labor on others without any form of regard for if they were to be in danger while working.
External Links
- Sentinel Prime on the Pure Evil Wiki
- Sentinel Prime on the Transformers Wiki
- Sentinel Prime on Wikipedia
 Villains
| ||
|
Iacon City Government Quintessons Decepticons | ||