Transformers One gives Optimus Prime a new origin story, rewriting pieces of his backstory, key relationships, and how he gets his powers. The 2024 animated movie explores the early days of Cybertron under Sentinel Prime’s leadership, shaping the story to be about Orion Pax’s origin to become Optimus Prime, the wise and powerful leader of the Autobots. This is told in connection with D-16’s transformation into Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons. While Transformers One exists in a new timeline free from the live-action films or other materials, telling Optimus Prime’s origin brings various expectations.
The transformation of Orion Pax into Optimus Prime is the entire narrative focus of Transformers One‘s ending. He becomes more powerful than ever before and is tasked with leading the Autobots and Cybertron into a new age. His evolution is tied to a massive character arc that takes him from being one of the least important citizens of Iacon City to the most important after helping overthrow Sentinel Prime. Transformers One gives Optimus Prime a new origin story similar to what came before but also has several key differences.
How Orion Pax Becomes Optimus Prime In Transformers One
He’s Chosen By Primus To Lead The Cybertronians
Transformers One begins with Orion Pax working as a lowly Energon miner in Iacon City. He’s a small robot without the ability to transform and lacking most of the leadership qualities associated with the character. His best characteristic is his hope for the future of Cybertron and the belief that everyone could live as one once the Matrix of Leadership is found and Energon begins flowing freely on the planet again. It’s only through this journey he learns the truth about what Sentinel Prime did to Transformers One‘s Elder Primes, giving him a reason to lead a rebellion.
After getting transformation cogs and exposing Sentinel Prime’s evil plans, Orion Pax’s origin story takes a twist when D-16 decides to stop saving him. Orion drops into the center of Cybertron to what seems like certain death. However, he is rescued during the fall by Primus, the Transformers’ creator. Orion is greeted by the spirits of the Elder Primes and Primus speaks to him through Alpha Trion, who explains that he has been chosen to continue the Prime legacy.
Primus officially renames Orion Pax as Optimus Prime during this sequence. He emerges from the middle of Cybertron with the Matrix of Leadership in his chest, ready to stop Megatron’s attack on Iacon City. The two Transformers battle for the planet’s fate, with Optimus Prime being the victor. It’s from this point on that Optimus Prime is entrenched as the leader that Cybertron deserves. He reclassifies those who remained with him as Autobots, giving them all transformation cogs, and ushering in a new era for the robots.
Orion Pax’s Friendship With D-16 Is Key To His New Origin
The Friends Become Enemies Over Time
For as much as Transformers One focuses on Optimus Prime’s origin story, it also gives Megatron’s origin a prominent placement in the narrative. This is because the movie makes Orion Pax and D-16 friends, turning them into the central relationship. While Orion seeks justice for what Sentinel Prime, D-16 feels betrayed and wants vengeance. That leaves them with conflicting views on how to proceed and divides what was once a strong friendship. They are firmly established as enemies by the time Transformers One‘s post-credits scene rolls, adding key context to Optimus Prime and Megatron’s long-running feud.
While Optimus Prime and Megatron were not friends in the original continuity, other Transformers stories before Transformers One introduced the idea of them being friends before becoming enemies
The Transformers movies, cartoons, and comics have always portrayed Optimus Prime and Megatron as opposite types of leaders. Prime leads through hope and optimism, while Megatron is fueled by anger and a desire to conquer everything. Transformers One makes that divide more obvious by showing how the friends no longer see eye to eye. They have the same goal, to give Cybertron a new future and leader, but they go about it in very different ways. And the personal cost of fighting Megatron is now much greater for Optimus Prime thanks to Transformers One‘s new origin story.
How Transformers One’s Optimus Prime Origin Story Is Different
The Movie Makes Key Changes To His Typical Backstory
With the new origin story featured in Transformers One, there are a few major changes made to Optimus Prime’s usual backstory. The first comes with Alpha Trion’s role. Transformers One‘s Autobot Alpha Trion is the one to give Orion his transformation cog, a nod to the fact that the Elder Prime is responsible for building and creating Optimus Prime in other material. This only happens after Orion Pax is killed fighting Megatron in the original continuity. The fight with Megatron does still lead to Optimus’ creation, but he does not die and Primus is the one who saves him.
Another key aspect of Optimus Prime’s origin story that Transformers One changes comes with his relationship with Elita. Previously known as Ariel, she was Orion’s girlfriend in the original continuity and also died from the Decepticon attack. Alpha Trion rebuilt her alongside Orion, marking her transformation from Ariel to Elita. Transformers One removes the romantic backstory for Optimus Prime and Elita, as she is his boss in the mines who is often irritated by his presence.
It’s also notable that Optimus Prime is largely responsible for Sentinel Prime’s defeat as part of his origin story. While Sentinel Prime is typically portrayed as the leader of the Autobots before Optimus Prime, they do not usually have a shared connection like this. Sentinel Prime’s reign often ends with Megatron killing him, just as he did in Transformers One. But even in the continuities where he is also an antagonist, Optimus does not usually play a role in Sentinel Prime’s downfall as happens here.
What Powers Optimus Prime Has In Transformers One
Optimus Prime’s Final Form Possesses Many Abilities
Once Orion Pax officially becomes Optimus Prime, he unlocks an entirely new set of powers in Transformers One. Since he was used to not even being able to transform, Orion took that ability from the transformation cog as a major upgrade by itself. But once the Matrix of Leadership becomes part of him, Optimus Prime’s fight with Megatron shows him break out his upgrades. This includes new abilities like flamethrowers from his arms and a glowing laser axe that emerges from his hand. These new abilities and weapons make Optimus Prime more potent than before.
The final version of Optimus Prime’s forms in Transformers One is easily the most powerful iteration of him in the movie. The energy axe hand is a direct callback to the original cartoon, making the Transformers One Easter egg a variation of the weapon featured in the live-action movies. Including flamethrowers is new for Optimus Prime, as this is now a power typically associated with him. And since the Matrix of Leadership possesses a wide-array of powers itself, Transformers One only scratches the surface of the powers that Optimus Prime now has.
